Xistore
The path of modern technology is becoming more extensive and confusing every day. A fork in modern progress are various methods of identity authentication. We are all used to using identity verification systems: for example, not so long ago, a massive number of users used a password or pin code to enter the system, but now, most of us simply put our finger on the fingerprint scanner instead of a password and the system instantly responds and recognizes the “owner”. ".
Technologies do not stand still and Xiaomi is moving along with them. At the September presentation, the Mi Note 3 smartphone was shown. One of the main features of this device was face recognition of the owner. This feature works together with older systems, in other words - you can combine fingerprint, good old password and face scanner.
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Initially, you need to enter data about your face into the database. To do this, go to “Settings”, then select “Lock screen and fingerprint”, and after all these steps, click on “Manage face data”.
After that, the system will ask you to enter the password that you set earlier or create one. After that, a warning will appear that this unlock method is less secure than a fingerprint scanner or a password.
As soon as we read the warning and click on the “Next” button, the system will start the camera and the process of scanning the user's face will begin.
The last step is to set up the unlock. The first switch allows you to use your face to unlock your smartphone, and the second allows you to unlock the moment the screen lights up from a new message.
Unlock speed and ease of use
In terms of response speed, face unlock showed the result of the first generation Touch id, or the speed of a fingerprint scanner, as on the Redmi line. These results show that although it is inferior in speed to the finger scanner in the Mi-series of smartphones, its speed will be enough for most users. I would also like to note that although the function is in the Beta test, it still works correctly and clearly. During testing, the sensor worked in 10 cases out of 10.
You can use face unlock as a pair with a fingerprint scanner, or on its own as a separate system. As soon as our editors did not try, but we could not unlock the device using a photo. Also, the advantages of the system include the fact that it will not work if the user's eyes are closed. In other words, during sleep, you can be sure that the device will not give out your secrets. A nice bonus is that the operation of the scanner does not depend on whether your mouth is covered with a scarf or not - warmth and comfort will not be affected in winter. But in the summer, sunglasses will have to be removed, because due to the fact that the eyes are closed, the system may not respond. However, the owners of glasses with diopters need not worry - the smartphone will capture every ray of your gaze.
I would like to note that this feature will not be exclusive to Mi Note 3... This feature will be supported by Mi devices, namely Mi5, Mi5c, Mi6. And this is certainly not the whole list! The number of supported devices will only grow.
Be on the cutting edge with Xiaomi and Xistore!
The new versions of Android have such a wonderful feature as Smart Lock, which takes the process of locking and unlocking to a new level.
Suppose you value your personal data very much, so you have a global approach to protecting Android - set a graphic code / pin code, face control, enabled. How convenient is it for you to constantly enter a graphic code or pin code to unlock Android? Do you know that these types of passwords can peep and enter them in the future? Google decided to go even deeper in protecting personal data and at the same time simplify unlocking and came up with a feature - Smart Lock.
How Smart Lock works? Very simple! If you are in a “safe place”, or if there is a trusted device nearby or Android has seen your face, then your smartphone or tablet will be unlocked as if there is no lock on it (without any passwords and keys)!
How to enable Smart Lock?
1. Go to Android Settings -> Security -> Screen Lock
and select one of the screen lock methods (except for swiping on the screen) 2. After the lock is created, go to the end of the list and select the Trust Agents item and activate the Smart Lock item
3. Return to the beginning of the Security section and go to the Smart Lock menu 5. You will have three options for smart unlocking:
- Trusted devices - unlocking without entering a password occurs if there is a familiar Bluetooth nearby or you brought Android to NFC tags
- Safe places - unlock without entering a password if you are within a given area
- Face recognition - unlock without entering a password if Android has determined that you are currently holding it in your hands
By activating one of these items, block and check the operation of Smart Lock. Now you do not have to enter a password every time, as the Smart Lock function will determine for itself whether enhanced security is currently needed.
Below will be an example of enabling the Smart Lock function and georeferencing:
The reason why it is better not to use Smart Lock
While Smart Lock on Android can make your life a lot easier, there are still good reasons not to use it. Below are examples of why this "chip" can harm you!
Example 1
If you have enabled unlock by location and you are in this “safe place”, an attacker can use this opportunity to distract you and steal your data.
Example 2
If a watch or something else that was tied to Smart Lock was stolen, then an attacker can steal data, distract you again, or steal a smartphone.
Example 3
If the phone is stolen and a smart lock has been installed on it, then being close to the "safe place" where Android unlocks the lock can easily be stolen by an attacker.
From this we can conclude that Smart Lock can make it easier to use the device, but if you notice something is wrong, it is better to disable this feature and use the old-fashioned patterns and pin codes.
That's all! Read more articles and instructions in the section. Stay with the site, it will be even more interesting!
The first automated facial recognition systems appeared in the 70s of the last century and are now used even in video surveillance systems reminiscent of those that can be seen in spy action movies. For smartphones, this feature is also not new - geeks with a good memory remember that Face Unlock appeared in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwitch, there were even implementations for Symbian. True, the technology has gone through a thorny path of development - the first examples gave a large number of false positives, the computing power was not the same ...
The function experienced its second and truly massive distribution in 2017. By depriving the iPhone X of its usual fingerprint scanner and equipping it with only the Face ID module, Apple “reinvented” face unlock. Android manufacturers did not keep themselves waiting, comparable solutions appeared quickly. Many companies decided to add face unlock first of all to flagships, although in the case of Huawei it all started with mid-range devices - and went on sale without Face Unlock, but became the first smartphones to receive a corresponding software update, and now almost all current Huawei phones can unlock with face scan.
How it works?
In humans, the recognition of faces and images is “sewn in” by nature - a separate part of the brain is responsible for this. Implementing the same with software is not so easy. Any face recognition is divided into three stages:
- detection
- alignment
- recognition
As part of the detection, the software "finds" faces in the photo - the colors of neighboring pixels, contrast, dark and light areas of the image are compared. As part of the “alignment”, the software divides the found faces into specific anchor points. They determine the shape of the eyes, the distance between the eyes, the length of the nose, the width of the cheekbones, and so on - these data allow you to create a so-called print or 3D model of the face. At the end, the software compares the freshly received data that comes with each attempt to unlock the smartphone with the saved ones. Unlocking occurs if the identity of the owner is confirmed. 
Setting Face Unlock
Setting up Face Unlock is as simple as possible. If you just bought a smartphone, the device will prompt you to choose protection methods during the first setup. At the same time, in addition to unlocking by face, you always need to specify an additional password, PIN code or pattern - they will have to be entered after rebooting the device if the device has not been used for a long time, or after several unsuccessful attempts to unlock by face - then we will figure out in which cases with this may be encountered.
If you already use a smartphone, then the desired settings item can be found either through a search in the settings or by going to the “Security and Privacy” section, then “Face Unlock”. 
The function has additional settings - notifications on the lock screen can be displayed in a hidden form until the smartphone "recognizes" the owner or can be open to everyone. After unlocking, you can stay on the lock screen - then you will have to additionally swipe or immediately go to the last running application that you used to lock your smartphone.
Suitable smartphones
Now the Face Unlock function is supported by all current Huawei smartphones (and Honor too), even the budget one - these are models that entered the market in 2018 and at the end of 2017. Y5 2018 is still waiting for an update, which should “arrive” in mid-August. Otherwise, the Y6 2018, Y6 Prime 2018, mid-range devices (P Smart, Mate 10 lite), the flagship P20 line of three models, last year's flagships P10, P10 Plus and Mate 10 Face Unlock already have it - it was or out of the box ” or added via appropriate updates.
Face Unlock - influence of lighting and other factors
Fingerprint scanners have long been a familiar means of unlocking - just put your finger on it. But if your hands are wet or wearing gloves, the scanner will not work. A smartphone with a scanner at the back is inconvenient to use in a car if the device is in a holder. Face Unlock is more convenient in this regard - just press the power key or double-tap on the screen to turn on the backlight, if such a function is supported. Even more convenient with the flagships P20 and - they can be activated when you pick up the device. 
Face unlock is a little slower than the usual fingerprint scan, but not so much that it causes discomfort - Huawei says that recognition collects data on 1000 points on the face, and identification takes 0.8 seconds. If the smartphone runs on a Kirin processor, then the user's "portrait" is stored in a special protected area of \u200b\u200bthe processor (TEE - Trusted Execution Environment).
When using the fingerprint scanner, the main thing is clean and dry hands, and the operation of Face Unlock depends on the lighting. When you first register, it is important to choose a location with normal lighting, but it is important to avoid backlight or direct strong light.
In real use, the main limiter is insufficient lighting conditions - in complete darkness, even the flagship Huawei P20 Pro does not cope well with recognition. If you bring the device closer to your face, especially if a light screen saver is installed, then the brightness of the AMOLED screen is enough to illuminate the face and recognize it, but it is much easier to use the fingerprint scanner.
In real conditions, if you walk along a night street normally lit with lamps and signs, Face Unlock works. If you walk along a dark alley, where the only source of light is the moon and “that window on the third floor” - no. 
Face Unlock doesn't work well if you're wearing dark sunglasses
There is also protection - if you bring the phone to the user with your eyes closed (for example, when you are sleeping), then it will not be unlocked. Also, unlocking most likely will not work with opaque sunglasses - both with the Y-series and with the flagship, it worked only in 20-30% of cases. If you wear prescription glasses with clear lenses, then there will be no problems. Scarves and hats have almost no effect on recognition speed. Failures will only occur if you "hide" your mouth and nose. 
That definitely doesn't work...
Unlock speed of 0.8 seconds applies primarily to budget models. On the flagship, a special NPU processor module is involved in face recognition, which allows you to quickly recognize the image, and on other models, the load falls on the main processor, so the response speed depends on the performance of the hardware. In a direct comparison, the advantages of a top-end device are obvious, but in a real comparison, the second of time it takes for Face Unlock to work on a budget Y6 Prime 2018 is not annoying. 
And that's how it works...
All that can be said in the end is that unlocking using face recognition is very convenient in practice. Paired with the usual fingerprint scanner, it allows you to almost forget about entering the main password or PIN, which most users do not like to do. It is doubly pleasant that companies add it not only to flagships, but also to the most affordable models, which makes modern technologies accessible to many users.
For the first time, the function of unlocking the screen using pictures taken by the front camera of a smart phone appeared in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. More precisely, not even in a smartphone, but in the Android 4.0 operating system.
So Xiaomi and Apple are not pioneers. But the Cupertians set the standard for the future. Can a copyist from the Middle Kingdom at least bring his result closer?
Why does Xiaomi need a Face ID?
Unlocking with the front camera often flickers among the specifications of Android smartphones. This is usually a simple shot comparison that is easy to fool with a simple average quality photo. For example, bringing another smartphone with a picture on the screen. In addition, it requires you to turn on the screen.
The iPhone is not like that at all. Xiaomi does too.
Xiaomi's own Face ID was presented as a killer feature of the sub-flagship Mi Note 3 (). Somehow it had to be shown that a strange mid-range smartphone could really claim a place in the top echelon. The camera is excellent, the appearance and the screen are beyond praise. But it turned out not to be a flagship, but a long-lived middle peasant with an excellent camera. Although I really liked it. 
Face ID could have saved the smartphone: a feature worthy of a flagship. They swung at the sacred, on the iPhone X! In its current form, Xiaomi Face ID received first Mi Note 3, and then all other Xiaomi smartphones. How? With a system update (Mi Note 3 had a feature back in MIUI 8.5).
It's a little strange, because a real Face ID does not work without a hardware base, a special camera and unique software. Has Xiaomi really managed to get by with just a neural network that scans photos? Apparently, yes.
How does real Face ID work?
As you know, Apple Face ID- not just a software function. Complex, and above all - hardware. To recognize the owner's face, TrueDepth cameras are used, which scan the structural map of the face.
To create it, 30.000 are used, created in the TrueDepth system by the projector. They are scanned by an infrared camera and then an infrared image is taken. Then it is transferred to a separate module of the Secure Enclave processor, in which the conformity check and comparison of the face and the previously specified dot structure of the owner's face takes place.
Thanks to this, the iPhone X recognizes the owner, even if he grows a beard, adds glasses to his image. What's there - twilight, poor lighting or darkness is also not a problem for a real Face ID.
There are very few conditions for the correct operation of the Apple face recognition system: the gaze must be directed to the camera. And that's it. You can change clothes, makeup, make faces. The smartphone will be unlocked no matter what.
What can Xiaomi answer to this?
How does Xiaomi's Face ID work?
Initially, you need to enter data about your face into the database. After that, the system will ask you to enter the password that you set earlier or create one. After that, a warning will appear that this unlock method is less secure than a fingerprint scanner or a password.
After that, the system will ask you to enter the password that you set earlier or create one. After that, a warning will appear that this unlock method is less secure than a fingerprint scanner or a password.
The last step is to set up the unlock. The first switch allows you to use your face to unlock your smartphone, and the second allows you to unlock the moment the screen lights up from a new message.
You can use face unlock as a pair with a fingerprint scanner, or on its own as a separate system.
Checked it works. Convenient, but...
After the picture is entered into the settings, you can start testing. The test took place in 2 stages with a difference of a month: for the sake of the experiment, I had to grow a beard.
The first feature of Xiaomi Face ID is that you do not need to turn on the screen. Just point the front camera at your own face. Picked up the phone, did nothing with it - and the first time the picture was not recognized. The second attempt was successful. Instant unlock.
As expected, facial hair was an insurmountable obstacle. Subsequent tests showed that it was the mustache. If you cover your chin with a scarf, the screen will unlock. The mustache, released after the first frame was entered, turned out to be a hindrance.
If you close your eyes - Mi Note 3 also refused to unlock the screen. Apparently, this is how the unlock protection works at the moment when the owner is sleeping.
But if you enter a picture in overall glasses on a smartphone, and then take them off, the recognition system refuses to recognize the owner. Both the first time and the second time. Interestingly, on the contrary (the picture was taken without glasses, an unlock attempt is made with glasses), unlocking is almost instantaneous.
I did not manage to deceive the system with the help of a photograph. A similar face also does not work. Although the twins will certainly be able to use each other's smartphones.
The only real enemy of Face ID created by Xiaomi is poor lighting and darkness. It uses a conventional front camera that does not work in the IR spectrum. Therefore, to unlock the screen, you need enough light to take pictures. Bringing the screen close to your face is a bad option.
For the necessary illumination required by the proprietary Face ID, a completely different measure. Can you take a good selfie? Then the smartphone will be unlocked. Otherwise, just a fingerprint or password.
instead of results. Everything works, but Xiaomi is ashamed
Unfortunately, not ideal work ruined the innovation (one might say so) in the bud. Xiaomi cut out the face recognition function from all global (multi-language international, for the European market) firmware
