[andai]

My Android phone takes a photo of my face every time I unlock the device. I don't have access to those images, but someone already has photos of my eyeballs!

I'm not sure why or how to turn it off, does anyone know?

(Also, insert weary photo of Kaczynski here.)

[jeroenhd]

Go to security settings and disable face unlock. If you want to be extra safe against Google, go to the advanced security settings, find the "trust agents", and disable the ability for Google Play Services to unlock your phone. That'll also kill any other unlock mechanisms you may have forgotten about tied to Google's services.

If unlock features remain after that, it's a manufacturer feature that's been set up. In that case you'll have to look for a guide for your specific brand and model.

Your phone can't turn this on by itself, if it's doing face recognition that means you set it up at some point.

[andai]

Thanks. What I meant was when I unlock my phone, there's a little "camera is being used" icon that pops up momentarily. After the unlock. I don't use face unlock. I thought it was an anti theft thing, but that's disabled too.

[jeroenhd]

The little indicator stays for a while after activation to prevent apps from pinging the camera for a few milliseconds without a trace. It doesn't necessarily mean that the camera is still being used, though it could be if it stays around for longer than a second or so.

[throwawayffffas]

For the extra paranoid, tape over the camera is the way to go.

[ramon156]

I would like a slider similar to my Thinkpad

[fsflover]

My phone has a hardware kill switch for that.

[surajrmal]

If you've ever actually looked into the implementation details of how face unlock works, you might feel a bit less spooked. Android and iOS go a very long way to isolate biometrics from the rest of the system. It's good to be skeptical, but it's also worthwhile to do some research.

[andai]

Man, I just wanna grill...

[TiredOfLife]

> I don't have access to those images, but someone already has photos of my eyeballs!

Citation needed.

[fennecfoxy]

I mean it's nice that someone helped you but if you're incapable of turning such a setting off yourself, or doing some basic research to find out how to turn it off - surely you'd feel threatened by the numerous other features of the phone that you're likely unaware of?

It's like willingly walking through a minefield.

[andai]

I do. Where's my location going, for example? Is there a centralized way to check everyone who accessed it?

[fennecfoxy]

I quick Google search reveals for my Samsung S24 Ultra: settings->security & privacy->Permissions used in last 24 hours->location->historical log: Google (background), Google Home (while using app), Maps (background), etc.