Smile, you’re logging into Google

Forgot your password? Google thinks your face should do the trick.

The tech giant announced a new selfie video sign-in option that lets users verify their identity by recording a short video, instead of relying on a password or trusted device.

Taking logins at face value

The setup is similar to enrolling in facial recognition features like Face ID on an iPhone, with users looking into their camera and following prompts to perform simple head movements to capture multiple angles of their face.

• If they're ever locked out of their account or don't have access to their usual phone, computer, or two-factor authentication method, they can record another selfie video.
• Google then compares it to the encrypted reference video stored in the cloud to confirm their identity and restore account access.
• The selfie videos are encrypted, can be deleted by users at any time, and are only used for account recovery unless users choose to share them for additional purposes.

The major challenge, according to Google, is proving there's a real person behind the login. The tech giant says its new system uses "liveness" checks that require users to perform simple movements, while also looking for signs of spoofing attempts like fake photos, bots, or AI-generated deepfakes.

It aims to address a real problem. Last month, cybersecurity repositories recorded 124 million unique passwords and 56 million email addresses stolen from personal devices by infostealer malware targeting Microsoft PCs.