The latest Android Q update might have a good Face ID that’s as good as Apple’s

Android phone makers who have been trying to implement the facial recognition ability have had to craft their own secure solution that is more than the basic face detection one that you can fool with a photo.

Sleuthers at XDA and 9to5Google have discovered code in an early Android Q version that hints at native support for hardware face recognition. It wouldn’t just be used for signing into your phone, either, as it could also authorise purchases and sign into apps. It would largely be parallel to the Face ID system found in Apple’s more recent iPhones, just with more flexibility.

There’s no certainty this will make it to the finished version of Android Q, which past history suggests could arrive in late summer. If it does, though, it could significantly expand the availability of secure face recognition on Google-powered devices. This is huge as phone makers don’t always have the resources to pour into custom-built biometric tech. So there is potential for the technology to be available to any brand that can afford to include depth sensors and similar hardware in their phones. The question then becomes a more of a question of which device you want rather than having to make compromises.

A version of this story first appeared on Engadet.