Android Beta Accessibility Feature Allows You To Control Your Phone Using Facial Expressions
Android's beta accessibility feature allows you to control your phone using facial expressions
According to XDA Developers, Google is working on a new accessibility feature for Android that will allow you to control your phone with facial expressions such as a smile or raised eyebrows, among others. The "Camera Switch" feature has been added to Android's Accessibility Suite app in version 12, which was released simultaneously with the fourth beta of Android 12. According to XDA, the new version of the app is not yet available through Google Play, but there is an APK available for sideloading if you want to give it a shot.
According to XDA Developers, facial expressions (which include looking left, right, and up) can be used to access a variety of controls, ranging from scrolling to going home and viewing quick settings or notifications to viewing quick settings or notifications. Screenshots demonstrate that you can adjust the software's sensitivity when it comes to recognizing facial expressions, which should help to reduce the likelihood of accidental activations. Although there is a warning that the feature can be power-intensive, and that phones should ideally be plugged in while it is being used, the feature is generally considered to be safe.
It's not difficult to see how the feature could be beneficial for anyone who might have difficulty with certain touch controls in particular. Furthermore, unlike voice commands, facial expressions are not audible, which may make it easier to use the controls in public or in quieter environments.
A number of accessibility features have been added to Android in recent releases, which, like these facial expression controls, are intended to make the phones more user-friendly for people who have physical or mental disabilities. For example, the Android 11 operating system released last year included enhancements to the operating system's voice control feature. Other accessibility enhancements were released earlier this year, including customizable "Action Blocks," which allow users to assign custom actions to large on-screen buttons and allow for more flexible navigation.
In Conclusion
The inclusion of the new feature alongside the most recent Android 12 beta suggests that it will be made available to the public as part of the operating system update later this year. However, according to XDA Developers, the most recent version of the Accessibility Suite app appears to be backwards compatible with Android 11, indicating that it may not be limited to Android 12 only.
