Google's Secret Weapon: Building a Face Unlock That Can Finally Pay

Google appears to be on the cusp of solving a problem that has long embarrassed its Pixel phones. According to code discoveries detailed by Mashable, an internal initiative called Project Toscana aims to develop a facial recognition system with security robust enough for banking and payments—a standard Apple’s Face ID has set for years.

Currently, Pixel owners can unlock their screens with a glance, but the system uses only the selfie camera. It’s convenient but not secure enough for digital wallets or sensitive apps, a limitation Google itself enforces. Apple’s approach uses specialized infrared hardware to map the face in three dimensions, making spoofing exceptionally difficult.

Project Toscana, as traced in Android source code, points to Google adopting similar hardware: infrared sensors and a dot projector. This would allow the creation of a detailed 3D model, aiming for Android’s highest biometric security rating, Class 3. Achieving that would let users authorize payments and access secure apps with their face, finally matching a key iPhone convenience.

The challenge is as much about design as technology. Incorporating this new hardware will force difficult choices about the Pixel’s front appearance and cost. With the premium smartphone competition more intense than ever, Google must balance this advanced engineering against its value-conscious positioning.

If successful, Toscana could arrive as soon as next year’s models. It would mark a significant hardware engineering victory for Google, closing one of the last major feature gaps with its chief rival and giving Pixel users a seamless, secure way to prove it’s really them.