Face Unlock on Google Pixel is finally usable for payments with Google Wallet and more, but…

This is a significant improvement over Face Unlock on the Pixel 7.

The recent offering of Face Unlock on Pixel devices via the front camera is very limited in use. Google Wallet didn’t have the security clearance it needed to use for contactless payments or banking apps, for example. That finally changed with the Pixel 8 series.

Google saidTensor is essential for the G3, as it makes Face Unlock via the front camera much more secure. The new algorithm significantly increases security. This means that Face Unlock on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro can now also be used for banking apps and contactless payments.

Google uses machine learning to solve a vexing problem

You guessed it: If this new hardware is necessary, this upgrade will inevitably not come to the Pixel 7 series. But the good news is that Face Unlock on the Pixel 8 is “integrated into the latest Biometric Prompt API for app sign-in and payments, which most app developers have updated over the past few years.”

At some point I turned off face unlock on the Pixel 7 Pro because it can only be used to unlock the phone. Then I can also use the fingerprint sensor, which I need to use with my banking app anyway. This mess will end when I finally own a Pixel 8 Pro.