Samsung adds 3D face unlock on the Galaxy S10 5G with One UI 2.0

Samsung adds 3D face unlock on the Galaxy S10 5G with One UI 2.0

When Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, they did not make a big deal out of the TOF (time-of-flight) cameras included in the phone. This was because even though they could be used for a lot of cool features, Samsung didn't really invest in it on the software side. With One UI 2.0, Samsung is finally getting around it by adding 3D facial recognition. They had the hardware, now they have software.

Samsung adds 3D face unlock on the Galaxy S10 5G with One UI 2.0

This comes from Twitter user @TEQHNIKACROSS who realized that Samsung had enabled the TOF camera for Face Unlock after installing the latest One UI beta on their Korean Galaxy S10 5G. While this greatly changed the facial unlock experience, it makes it more secure. Prior to this update, the phone would only use the front-facing camera for front unlock. It is not safe in any way. Although it was fast and accurate, it left the phone open to unlock using a picture of the owner. The Galaxy S10 5G should no longer be an issue.

Although the software does not say it specifically, TEQHNIKACROSS actually posted a picture of the 3D scanner. While a normal camera uses light-sensitive diodes on the sensor to absorb light, a TOF sensor sends out both an IR blast and collects light and depth data based on that explosion. You can see the red ray below that the IR blast from Galaxy S10 5G is being sent by the TOF camera.

3D facial recognition is not new in any way. For example, Apple has had an iPhone for a long time. There are also some Android phones with 3D facial recognition before Samsung enabled it on the Galaxy S10 5G. Both the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and LG G8 ThinQ use the TOF sensor on the front for face facial recognition, while the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Pixel 4 using more Apple-like approaches with their sensors.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G XDA Forum

If you have a Galaxy S10 5G and want this update, then you will need to wait for One UI 2.0. The S10 5G is currently available for the One UI beta in Korea and may soon expand to other regions. If you have an S10 series phone running One UI 2.0 Beta, then one UI is running on 2.0 Beta 3 devices.