Android users can now operate devices with their facial expressions

Updated on: May 17, 2024 9:08 AM

Konstancija Gasaitytė
Journalist

Android and Google accessibility feature — Image by Google

Android users can now control their devices with their head and facial movements thanks to Google’s project Gameface.

The feature works through a device’s camera, which tracks a person’s head movements and facial expressions. This information is then turned into “intuitive and personalized control.”

Users can also customize their experience by assigning facial expressions with certain functions, such as raising their eyebrows to click or drag and changing the cursor speed and gesture sizes.

The hands-free gaming “mouse” was first presented in 2023. It allowed users “to control a computer’s cursor using their head movement and facial gestures” to play games. Now available on Android, it will make it easier for people with physical disabilities to use a smartphone or a computer.

Google isn’t the only company focusing on making it easier for people to use their devices, with Apple introducing its eye-tracking feature, among other accessibility-focused updates.