The Pixel 4 comes with a new face unlock feature. Thanks to a recent update, the face unlock on Pixel 4 is not working for some. There have been reports in the last few months that the face unlock fails without any reason on some Pixel 4 and 4XL’s. At this point in time, the issue doesn’t plague all the Pixel 4 devices.

Many users claim that the issue cropped up after Google’s monthly security update, which was rolled out after a delay. Users have resorted to forums like Reddit, XDA Forums and Pixel support to voice their concerns. Upon using face detection, the device simply returns an error that says “Cant verify face. Try again.” In some cases, the error message reads “Can’t verify face, Hardware not available.”

As expected users have deleted and re-added their face data, however, it didn’t solve the problem.  Interestingly for some, the notification asked them to re-enroll in face unlock but doing so did nothing. The worst part is that factory reset is also not helping in solving the issue. Moreover, there is no fingerprint sensor and this means the users have to go back to using PIN, pattern or password to unlock their Pixel 4.

Google is yet to issue a statement. If you are affected by the bug try performing a factory reset or restart the phone in safe mode. Some of the users are not even able to delete stored face data in Settings. The Pixel 4 face unlock setup includes an IR blaster and flood illuminator — a setup that’s similar to Face ID found on the iPhone 11. However, face unlock on the Pixel 4 is not as secure as Face ID and as it works even when one is asleep.