On launch day, face unlock on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL was only supported by five apps, with a few more getting updated since last month. The latest is Bank of America ’s Android client today.
Google made waves by foregoing the fingerprint sensor in favor of face unlock on the Pixel 4 this year. So far, the Pixel’s 3D face unlock systems have made for speedy and accurate unlocking, but unlocking the phone isn’t the only thing biometric authentication is used for.
READ MORE: Google to use 3D face recognition for Pixel 4 payments
One of the most important uses of the fingerprint sensor is to secure more sensitive apps, such as password managers or banking applications.
Release notes for version 8.3.11 of Bank of America for Android prominently mentions the “Ability to sign in with face unlock (Pixel 4 only).” After updating, you’ll need to enter your password one more time, and select the “Set up biometric sign-in” checkbox.
After completing BofA’s process, Pixel 4 face unlock will work on all subsequent sign-in attempts. That said, you might have to tap a “Sign in with biometrics” button right next to the password field if the system-level sheet with the smiley face icon doesn’t automatically slide up from the bottom of the screen.
This update that adds support for Android’s Biometric API follows a rather big visual redesign to Bank of America’s Android app.
