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Google Reportedly Planning to Discontinue and Replace Unlock With Voice Match Feature on Android Devices

Google Reportedly Planning to Discontinue and Replace Unlock With Voice Match Feature on Android Devices

By Sumit Chakraborty | Updated: 29 October 2018 18:09 IST

Google could soon remove the Unlock with Voice Match feature and replace it with something more secure

Highlights

Google may discontinue voice unlock on Android
It may get "replaced with a more secure way to get personal results"
On Pixel 3, the option was replaced with 'Lock screen personal results'

Google appears set to remove and replace a feature that let Android users unlock their devices using their voice. Unlock with Voice Match, a security feature that lets users to simply use their voice to unlock their smartphone, may soon be discontinued. A recent report has claimed that the feature will soon be removed by Google on all Android devices. It is being considered to be not too secure "a similar voice or recording of your voice" could unlock Android devices and eventually provide access to other users.

As per an APK teardown performed by folks at 9to5Google, the option to Unlock with Voice Match is slowly being discontinued. As mentioned, the feature currently allows users to "have their voice act as a device passcode." For instance, if a command you gave to Google Assistant required further action, the Android device would be able to authenticate it as a command from its original user. The first time it was spotted to have been absent was when Google removed the feature from its Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones.

According to the report, the Google App version 8.39 for Android has a string of text that reveals the change. The APK Insight of the app reportedly reveals an 'Updated Voice Match' prompt detailing the change. It says that the 'Lock screen personal results' will be a 'more secure way' the future.

To recall, last week Google had uplifted security on the Pixel 3 by removing support for Voice Match that was available on the past two Pixel models to unlock the hardware by recognising user voice through "OK Google" or "Hey Google" command. Google in one of its support pages confirmed the removal and highlighted that instead of unlocking the device, users can access the Google Assistant on their Pixel 3 devices directly from the lock screen by passing the "OK Google" command.

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