Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro do not have Face Unlock, at least not today. We still have some hope that one day it will come as an added security measure via a pixel feature drop, but for now we have to keep that hope alive by pointing it out in the code or showing it directly on someone’s phone. That last part happened over the weekend.
A Reddit user posted a hypothetical image of the phone setup screen on his Pixel 6 showing three different screen lock options. He can choose between pattern, PIN or password, which is normal. Where it surprised him (and us) was the additional options listed next to the standard lock screen preferences.
In the image below, you can see that each listed “face” and “fingerprint” as additional lock measurements. Part of the fingerprint is fine, but yes, we don’t have Face Unlock on this Pixel 6 phone. You know that, so what’s up?
Hard to say! During the Pixel 6 launch, you may recall promo images that were suggested as an option to unlock the face. Of course, no phone came with Face Unlock and it still doesn’t. We expected to see it in its entirety, but Google reportedly pulled it out at the last minute for unknown reasons. We’ve seen hints since then that it’s part of the Android code and are concerned that it might only appear on the Pixel 6 Pro. It even still does that, though.
We’re not far from Google growing up with Face Unlock as a safe way to unlock your phone faster. The Pixel 4 initially gave us the idea of an improved face unlock from Google, but since its launch in late 2020, we haven’t seen Google try to include it back in the phone. The Pixel 4 was a different kind of beast, with an advanced radar system designed to secure the face unlock. Its time could not have been worse, you know, an epidemic for which we must always cover our faces.
So who knows what’s going on with this guy’s Pixel 6 “Face” being shown as an alternative. He said he was running a clean build of Android 12 on his phone and no ROM or hack or RootBR0 or anything else. He was not able to set it up, however, saying only the word “face” did not allow it to happen.
Maybe drop June pixel properties?