The new functionality is part of an update to the Android Accessibility Suite app. Google is developing an accessible Android feature that allows users to control their phones using facial expressions.
An updated version of the Android Accessibility Suite app released last week alongside the latest beta of the operating system includes a “camera switch” feature, as reported by XDA developers.
Camera switches can be found in the Switch Access Setup Guide, which allows people with disabilities to connect external accessories via USB or Bluetooth. Camera switches allow you to use one or more gestures to perform onscreen tasks. Assign silent signals, eg. Por ejemplo, sonría, levante las cejas, mire a la izquierda, mire a la derecha, mire hacia arriba o abra la boca para abrir el panel de notificaciones, inicie la configuración rápida, desplácese hacia adelante o all hacia atrás o regrese a la pantall hacia atrás o regrese start. Home phone, among others.
Additional settings include the ability to show a visual indicator of how long you hold a gesture for, play a sound when something on the screen changes in response, and keep the screen on when the switches on the Camera are enabled (the function cannot be unlocked on the screen when powering off).
Camera switches rely on the front camera of the smartphone or tablet to know when to look at the screen and recognize facial gestures. A permanent notification icon lets you know when the camera is actively in use, according to XDA developers. Images are not saved or sent to Google. However, the feature uses an extra battery and it is recommended to keep your device connected and charged as much as possible.
Although it is not yet available on Google Play, interested users can download the APK. XDA even managed to add it to an Android 11 device, suggesting the feature might not only apply to Android 12.
