Google’s ‘Project Toscana’ could bring Face ID to Pixel phones

Source: Mashable Tech

Google may finally be ready to fix one of the Pixel’s most frustrating flaws.

Project Toscana details

According to an exclusive report from Android Authority, Google is developing a new advanced facial recognition system internally dubbed Project Toscana. The feature is being tested on Pixel phones and Chromebooks, with early testers in Mountain View, California, using prototype devices under various lighting conditions. An anonymous source told the outlet that Toscana performed just as quickly as Apple’s Face ID and, crucially, worked reliably in low light.

History of face unlock on Pixel

Google has taken multiple swings at face unlock over the years:

• Pixel 4 – used radar and IR sensors, a hardware‑intensive approach that was later abandoned.
• Subsequent Pixels – reintroduced camera‑based face unlock with improved machine‑learning algorithms.
• Pixel 8 – added the ability to authenticate for payments and secure apps, but still struggles in darker environments.

Future outlook

Android Authority notes that this aligns with its previous reporting on Google’s exploration of IR‑based solutions for future Pixel devices, potentially as soon as the Pixel 11. It remains unclear whether Toscana will require a dedicated display hole or will rely on a traditional hole‑punch camera.

The timing is interesting given the recent launch of the Pixel 10a. As Mashable tech reporter Alex Perry writes, the $499 mid‑range device sticks with the Tensor G4 processor and delivers AI feature parity with the Pixel 10, despite the flagship moving to Tensor G5. Hardware changes were modest—a flatter back, improved durability, and a slightly brighter display—but there were no dramatic biometric upgrades.

If Project Toscana is real and ready for primetime, it likely won’t debut in the budget‑friendly 10a, which arrives on March 5. Instead, it could signal that Google is once again trying to build the Android answer to Face ID—and this time, perhaps stick with it.