Does the Google Pixel 7 series support face unlock?

Google’s new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro don’t bring any significant upgrades over the previous-gen Pixel 6 series devices, but there are some neat additions. And the one that we think will stand out the most is the new face unlock feature on the Pixel 7 series. Yes, the face unlock feature has returned to the Pixel 7 lineup, and it works as advertised, though there are some caveats. So if you’re wondering whether you can unlock the Pixel 7 with your face, then the answer is yes.

The face unlock feature uses the new and improved wide-angle 10.8MP selfie camera on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, coupled with a Machine Learning model behind it. This also means there’s no dedicated 3D face unlock tech in play here, like the one used in Pixel 4. The lack of a dedicated system can be crippling as the Pixel 7’s face unlock won’t be reliable in, say, a pitch-black environment or even a relatively dark room. You can crank up the display brightness to throw some light on your face and hope it would work, but it’s no match to a dedicated 3D face unlock system with a flood illuminator and IR camera. So be aware of this if you hope to use the face unlock feature all the time, as you will likely need to fall back on fingerprint unlock and passcode unlock when ambient lighting is suboptimal.

It’s also worth noting that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro can only use facial recognition to unlock the phone from the lock screen. For everything else — including payments and secure logins — you’ll have to revert to the good old fingerprint scanner or use a PIN or a passcode. You may also find it confusing to figure out why your transaction was declined when you unlocked your phone with face unlock — since the UX does not explicitly mention that you need to unlock with your fingerprint, PIN, or password for payment-related secure logins. This isn’t exactly a deal-breaker but there’s no denying that it’s no match to more secure implementations like Face ID on Apple’s iPhones that can be seamlessly used for every type of unlocking.

Despite its limitations, we think the addition of face unlock to the Pixel 7 series is a welcoming move. It’s always nice to have an alternate authentication method for when you can’t actually touch your phone’s display to authenticate or even enter a PIN or a passcode.

But don’t let the lack of face unlock change your purchase decision. There’s a lot to like about the new Pixel phones, especially for a starting price of $599 for the Pixel 7. You can also find some great deals on these phones to save more money and use the extra cash for some cases. We’ve rounded up some cool options in our Pixel 7 cases and the Pixel 7 Pro cases, so be sure to check them out.

What do you think about the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro’s face unlock feature? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below.