Google is developing face unlocking tech on par with iPhone Face ID for the Pixel 11 family

Google is rumored to be developing better face unlocking tech for both the Pixel 11 family and upcoming Chromebooks. This endeavor is internally codenamed Project Toscana. According to someone who allegedly tested it, it will work without any additional visible sensors on the Pixel phones. It’s unclear if it’s using infrared like iPhones do, but if it is, then the IR bits are hidden under the display (and Apple is rumored to be going the same route for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max).

So basically everything looks the same as on a Pixel 10, but, importantly, the face unlocking works as well in low ambient lighting as it does in daylight. Google was rumored to be bringing IR-based face unlocking to the Pixel 11 family last year, and it seems like this is that. But the company is interestingly also developing the same tech for Chromebooks, or at least testing it on some.

Google Pixel 10 Pro

The source of this report claims Google’s new tech works as quickly as Apple’s Face ID on iPhones, which is definitely good news. Of course, unlike iPhones, Pixels also have a fingerprint scanner, but having a high-quality alternative to unlocking that way, and one that works regardless of the ambient lighting around you, is definitely welcome.

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