Android 12 beta feature lets you control your phone with your face

Beyond its own accessibility apps, Google offers a powerful API that allows developers to build tools for people with disabilities. The Android Accessibility Suite beta, which was part of the fourth beta of Android 12 recently arriving on Pixel handsets, includes a new way to control your phone. “Camera Switches” basically allows you to use facial gestures to perform a number of actions. For example, you can configure the app to detect when you smile or raise an eyebrow to open your notifications panel or quick settings. You can also open your mouth to scroll forward or backward. As spotted by XDA Developers, the update lets you map around six facial gestures to over a dozen phone controls. These can also be changed based on the size of gestures to prevent the app from constantly initiating actions.

The camera switches rely on the Switch Access feature of the Android Accessibility Suite, which allows you to interact with your device without using the touchscreen. Depending on the context, this can be done using an external device, such as a keyboard, via a USB or Bluetooth connection, or by pressing the built-in buttons on your phone. In this sense, Camera Switches takes functionality up a notch by introducing gestures into the mix. Since most people are already used to unlocking their phone with their face, the new additions shouldn’t seem completely foreign.

When using the camera switches, you will see a persistent notification icon indicating that your camera is in use. However, since Android 12’s privacy dashboard already includes a status indicator for the camera and microphone, this feature may be unnecessary. XDA was also able to load the APK of the app to get the new feature on Android 11.