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You can take pictures with the Google Pixel 4 face unlock IR camera
June 25, 2025
TheGoogle Pixel 4packs 3D face unlock capabilities, using a combination of IR cameras, a dot projector, and a flood illuminator to scan your face.
It’s a pretty advanced feature compared to fingerprint scanning, even though the Pixel 4’s solutionisn’t as secure as it should be. But did you know that you can actually take pictures with one of the phone’s IR cameras?
Yep,9to5Googlereports that you can snap infrared pictures with this camera by downloading the open-sourceHedgeCam 2app from the Play Store. All you need to do is launch the app and tap theswitch cameraicon twice to switch to the IR view.
The app uses the IR camera on the left-hand side for pictures, but the outlet notes that there’s an interesting shadow effect when holding your finger over the right-hand side. This is presumably due to the flood illuminator being blocked.
Pictures and videos taken with the IR camera are limited to VGA resolution (640×480), so don’t expect fantastic results by any measure. It’s also rather awkward using this to record videos or take pictures of something other than yourself.
I did however manage to record theHUAWEI Mate 20 Prosensors being activated for 3D face unlock — a process largely invisible to the human eye. Check it out in the GIF above, but do note that there are flashes here.
I also tried installing the app on theHuaweidevice due to it offering 3D face unlock (and therefore an IR camera), but the IR camera doesn’t appear to be accessible via this method.
It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen IR cameras and similar tech used for photography on smartphones though. We’ve seen the likes ofCAT phones offer FLIR camerasfor thermal imaging, allowing you to detect tiny variations in heat.
In any event, the ability to use theGoogle Pixel 4IR camera in this fashion is pretty neat, even if it might not be very practical. Would you buy a phone with 3D face unlock? Give us your thoughts below.
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