Android’s accessibility beta feature uses facial expressions to control your phone

Google is developing a new accessibility feature for Android that lets you control a phone using facial expressions like a smile or raised eyebrows, XDA Developers reports. The “Camera Switch” feature arrived with version 12 of the Android Accessibility Suite application, released alongside the fourth beta of Android 12. The new version of the application is not yet available through Google Play. , XDA reports, but there is an APK for you to download if you want to try it out.

According to XDA Developers, facial expressions (which also include looking left, right, or up) can be used to access a number of controls, ranging from scrolling, going home, or viewing settings or quick notifications . The screenshots show that you can adjust the software’s sensitivity when recognizing expressions, which should hopefully limit the potential for accidental activations. However, there is also a disclaimer that the feature can be power hungry and phones should ideally be plugged in while in use.

It’s not hard to see how the feature could come in handy for anyone who might have difficulty with certain touch controls. And unlike voice commands, facial expressions are quiet, which could make it easier to use the commands in public or in quieter environments.

Android has received a number of accessibility features with recent releases which, like these facial expression controls, are aimed at making phones easier to use for people with disabilities. Last year, Android 11, for example, made improvements to the operating system’s voice command feature. Earlier this year, Google released a series of other accessibility updates, including customizable ‘action blocks’, which allow users to assign custom actions to large onscreen buttons. .

The arrival of the new feature alongside the latest beta of Android 12 suggests that it will officially launch as part of the OS update later this year. Corn XDA Developers notes that the latest version of the Accessibility Suite app appears to be backward compatible with Android 11, suggesting that it might not be exclusive to Android 12.