Face Unlock Busted: Photo Tricks 133 Phones

An investigation has revealed that face unlock functionality on 133 popular smartphone models can be compromised using a printed photograph, raising significant security concerns. The testing, conducted since 2022, found that 64% of 208 analyzed devices failed when presented with a 2D image, including high-end models from brands such as Samsung, Motorola, and OnePlus. The technology typically relies on standard 2D facial recognition, which lacks the depth-sensing capability to distinguish a real person from an image.

While most Android phones are affected, Apple's iPhone and Google's Pixel devices are exceptions and are not included in the warning. Many of the vulnerable phones do display on-screen messages during setup to caution users about the security limitations of face unlock. However, the watchdog expressed concern that some manufacturers are not making these weaknesses clear enough to consumers.

In response, some manufacturers have reiterated that face unlock is primarily for convenience and recommended stronger security options like PINs or patterns. Fairphone noted that its face unlock is restricted from sensitive actions like payments. Honor confirmed users are informed about its system's lesser security compared to passwords, while OnePlus requires users to read a statement on face recognition risks before activation. Other brands, including Asus, HMD, Nokia, Realme, Samsung, Vivo, Xiaomi, Nothing, and Oppo, did not provide comments.