Google is internally testing a 3D facial biometric unlock system codenamed “Project Toscana,” according to a report from Android Authority. The effort would represent a more robust face authentication modality for Android devices than the 2D face unlock implementations the company has offered on various Pixel handsets over the years.
The report describes the system as designed to function reliably across varying lighting conditions—a common limitation of 2D face unlock systems that rely solely on visible-light camera input. A 3D approach typically involves structured light projection, time-of-flight sensing, or stereo imaging to generate a depth map of the face, which is significantly harder to spoof with a photograph than a standard camera-based match.
Google has not confirmed the project. The Android Authority report describes internal testing only, and no product announcement has been made. The sensor configuration, target devices, and integration details—such as how the system would map into Android’s biometric authentication classification framework and Trusted Execution Environment binding—have not been specified.
The reported effort echoes the Android 12 beta clues about Pixel face unlock that surfaced in 2022, showing Google has continued iterating on facial biometrics for its Pixel line over a multi-year period. Google previously made face unlock a headline feature when it shifted its Pixel line to face unlock with the Pixel 4 in 2019, though the company moved away from the dedicated 3D sensor hardware in subsequent Pixel generations.
A stronger face unlock capability would feed directly into the Android Identity Check biometric-only enforcement that Google expanded in 2025. That system restricts access to sensitive device functions and apps to biometric authentication when the device is used outside of trusted locations. A 3D face unlock rated at a higher biometric strength class under Android’s framework would qualify for use in those protected contexts, whereas lower-confidence face unlock implementations do not.
If Project Toscana moves toward a product, Google would be entering territory currently dominated by Apple’s Face ID, which has used a dot projector and infrared flood illuminator on iPhone since 2017. The competitive implications for Android platform authentication, as well as the sensor supply chain, would be significant if Google chose to equip multiple devices with the hardware required for a 3D face recognition pipeline.
Sources: Android Authority
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By Ali Nassar-Smith
