Google updates the Pixel: fixed Bluetooth and added the open eyes feature
Google has released the new monthly security update, finally introducing the ” open eyes ” requirement on the facial unlock of the latest models.
Like every month, Google has set up the Android security bulletin, in which it lists the correct security vulnerabilities in the monthly update. Thus we arrive at the security patch level 2020-04-05, which resolves 43 vulnerabilities in addition to the 12 resolved with the security patch level 2020-04-01. Some are ” critical ” and allow remote code execution.
In addition to the security bulletin, Google has released fixes and corrections on the Pixel family devices, designed at home with a pure version of Android. The devices received numerous new features last month, so as could be expected for this month, the update provides the only minor, but still important, news.
Google has fixed some problems present with the Bluetooth protocol and has solved a problem that delayed the opening of the virtual keyboard in some apps. The updates are applied to the devices of the Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a and Pixel 4 families, while the first-generation models remain dry because they are no longer supported.
In the case of the two Pixel 4 (at a great price on Amazon) and Pixel 4XL, the option to unlock only with eyes open was introduced as regards the face-recognition function, which is enabled by default. Previously, it was possible to unlock the smartphone even with closed eyes, which could have allowed an attacker to access his data by simply pointing it at the owner’s face even without his explicit consent.
As usual, Android partners have been notified of all the corrected issues at least a month in advance. The company releases the source code in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository within two days of the bulletin’s release, while Pixel users will receive the update as part of an over-the-air (OTA) update in a matter of days.
For users who wish to download OTA images for manual installation, the download can be performed from this page. The complete factory images can instead be downloaded at this address. It is recommended that you back up your device before installing updates via images to avoid the risk of personal data loss.
