Google may be preparing its most serious challenge yet to Apple’s Face ID. A new leak suggests the company is testing an advanced facial recognition system for Pixel devices under the codename “Project Toscana.”
According to a report from Android Authority, the system is being evaluated internally on Pixel hardware and could be tied to future devices, hinting at a possible move toward more secure, hardware-backed face authentication across Google’s lineup.
Internal trials, external ambitions
Project Toscana is reportedly under internal evaluation, with Android Authority citing an anonymous source who said the system was recently tested with UX teams in Mountain View. The source claims to have used it on a Pixel device with a single hole-punch front camera, as well as on two Chromebooks with external cameras, suggesting that Google is exploring a unified approach across phones and laptops.
Testing was conducted under different lighting conditions, with the system reportedly performing as quickly as Apple’s Face ID, even in low light.
While the exact technology stack has not been confirmed, the report noted that infrared components are likely involved. The development also aligns with earlier indications that Google has been working on more advanced face authentication for future Pixel models, potentially including the Pixel 11.
The weakness Google hasn’t fully solved… yet
If Project Toscana delivers on what the leak describes, it would address a longstanding gap in Android devices. Several manufacturers experimented with advanced 3D face recognition systems in the late 2010s, but most backed off after early attempts added hardware complexity without broad consumer adoption.
Dedicated infrared sensors, depth-mapping components, and larger cutouts increased cost and constrained design at a time when slimmer displays and smaller bezels were priorities. As a result, fingerprint sensors — first rear-mounted, then under-display — became the default secure biometric across Android flagships.
Apple took a different route. By tightly integrating infrared hardware and software around Face ID, it established a consistent, hardware-backed facial authentication system that worked in low light and became central to payments and app security. Android phones, by contrast, often relied on camera-based solutions that were convenient but uneven, particularly in darker conditions.
In that context, a renewed push toward advanced facial recognition would be a notable shift.
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Not just a Pixel feature
The inclusion of Chromebooks in the reported testing expands the scope beyond a smartphone upgrade. Laptops operate in less controlled conditions, propped on desks, used in varied lighting, and unlocked repeatedly across longer sessions, where consistency and speed are scrutinized differently than on a handset.
Chromebooks today rely largely on traditional sign-in methods, with biometric support varying by model. Evaluating a more advanced facial recognition system in that setting underscores that the effort is being assessed across device categories, not solely within the Pixel line.
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