Android P beta includes API supporting face, iris, in-display fingerprint biometrics

The Android P Developer Preview has revealed a new API for biometric authentication which adds support to the platform for face, iris, and in-display fingerprint sensor authentication, Android Police reports.

The BiometricPrompt API replaces FingerprintDialog, and uses a single permission, USE_BIOMETRIC, to for any modality supported by the device. For developers, switching to the new API is necessary, as the USE_FINGERPRINT permission used by FingerprintManager is now deprecated.

The inclusion of all popular smartphone modalities in the same API allows Google to provide a unified authentication experience for different applications and different phones.

The limited options for CPUs to use in the 3D sensing module has deterred most Android device manufacturers from implementing 3D facial recognition so far, Digitmes Research recently reported. XDA Developers noted the possibility of Android P using the general biometric permission call when reporting on commits by Fingerprint Cards toward bringing native support for iris scanners to the platform earlier this year.

Article Topics

Android  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  iris recognition