These apps support the Google Pixel 4's face unlock feature

By Joe Maring
published

Face unlock on the Pixel 4 XL
Face unlock on the Pixel 4 XL (Image credit: Android Central)

The Pixel 4 is an important phone for the Android landscape. The 90Hz display, dual rear cameras, and wireless charging are all perfectly cool, but the thing that really makes it stand out is Google's all-new face unlock system.

We've seen other Android phones offer face unlock in the past, but the Pixel 4 is the first one that's secure enough to be useful beyond the lock screen — meaning you can use face unlock on the Pixel 4 to authorize purchases and log in to apps — such as mobile banking apps and password managers.

If you pick up your Pixel 4 and realize that face unlock doesn't work with your favorite apps, however, you're not doing anything wrong. Developers need to support Google's BiometricPrompt API in order for it to work, and as of right now, these are all of the apps that currently support it.

Apps that currently work with the Pixel 4's face unlock

Apps that have confirmed to be working on the Pixel 4's face unlock

  • U.S. Bank (no set date)

Waiting game

The Pixel 4 started with virtually no support for its face unlock system when it was first released in October 2019, but over the months, support has gotten substantially better.

In order for the Pixel 4's face unlock to work, apps need to support the BiometricPrompt API. As of November 1, 2019, apps released to the Play Store have to support the API if they want to offer biometric authentication of any sort. Apps weren't forced to support it on that date, but simply for their next update after that date. Google doesn't seem to have been super forceful with that rule, but as time's gone on, things have gotten better and better.

More apps are adding face unlock support all the time, and as new ones are added, we'll be sure to update this article accordingly.

Unlock with your face

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Google Pixel 4

Android's best face unlock still has room to grow.
The Google Pixel 4 stands out for a lot of reasons, one of which is its powerful face unlock system. Not only is it one of the fastest implementations we've ever seen, it's also secure enough to go beyond the lock screen and work with app logins.

Joe Maring
Joe Maring

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.

16 Comments
  • It's hard to put most of the blame on Google here unlike the cough battery cough issues...Perhaps they could have pushed devs more with a more aggressive timeline but the API came out last year with P so it's not like it's a surprise API here. I get smaller devs not being there yet, but larger corporations or security related apps (i.e. LastPass) with hundreds and thousands of customers have no excuse not having their apps updated.
  • Yeah, it's not like Google had any way to know there were basically no apps that would support it... And it's not like there's always a ubiquitous biometric security technology they could've includes... ...
  • This is what happens when you continue to not enforce updates and standards. Nothing new to see here. Usual Android issues. My Samsung S10+ feels like an experience hacked together by 12 school children during recess. Night mode works in some apps, not others. Some notifications are black when night mode is on, others stay white. Icon like this, icon like that. Menu like this, menu like that. One app has gestures, another app looks like Android Froyo and doesn't even render correctly. I am picking up the Pixel 4 XL to get a feel of how these things will be on a pure Google device (I enjoyed a lot of things about my Essential PH-1) but I do not have high hopes. I still use my iPhone 11 Pro for most things precisely because I expect consistency in function and form when I pay laptop-grade money for a smartphone.
  • Unfortunately I just can't stand how iOS does things. Widgets are a joke. Notifications suck compared to Android. All apps are on the home screen instead of them being in app drawer where I don't have to see them all the time especially for apps I rarely use. The organization of the settings app is just a joke and I can't stand the fact that changing the settings for an app requires you to leave the app and go to the main system settings app. That's just dumb. The Google Assistant absolutely destroys Siri. There are good things about the iPhone. The hardware materials and build quality is excellent and probably the best of any smartphone. With the iPhone 11 Pro Apple might have the best camera of any smartphone. The A13 Bionic is amazing and just leaves the best from Qualcomm in the dust. And even the software is fast and stable. I just can't stand the software experience.
  • The Pixel is just a minority trying to act like the majority. Most app developers will just skip the hassle altogether until there's actually a noticeable amount of Android users that uses secure facial biometric authentication - that statement itself is an irony because Google's face unlock is anything but 100% secure at this point.
  • There are some apps I use that are missing from your list: - Fineco
    - HD SMTH
    - Coinbase
  • I just checked Lastpass. I have biometrics turned on but it doesn't offer that I use Face Unlock.
  • My banking app, Wells Fargo, currently doesn't support the Face Unlock feature. But, I don't care because for my banking app I have 2FA turned on and set to use an RSA key generator from Wells Fargo. I'm not risking my BANKING to just a simple face or fingerprint access. Anyone that does, well, you're ignorant.
  • Wells Fargo does support it now. They just updated the app and it specifically states so in the app's change log.
  • sundar too bizzy counting his billions to care. simple fix: "dear developer, your app is no longer available on google play. Your app will become available again when you add face unlock security features to your platform"
  • The US Bank app works with face unlock on the Pixel 4.
  • Sorely disappointed in the brevity of this list. This was a selling feature that was half-baked at launch and is still kind of gooey inside.
  • Pretty much like everything Google does these days half arsed! wouldn't see this happening with Apple phones.
  • T-Mobile Money banking app works with P4 Face Unlock.
  • Have yet to see my Chase update.
  • Ad TMobile app to that list