Forgot your Google password? Now you can log in with a selfie. - Ars Technica

What the report says

Ars Technica reports that Google has introduced a new account recovery option that lets users regain access to a Google account by verifying themselves with a selfie video. The feature must be configured before a lockout occurs and is not available for Workspace accounts, child accounts, or accounts enrolled in Google’s Advanced Protection Program.

According to Ars, setup requires users to record a video of their face using a phone or computer camera. Google stores the video on its servers and says it keeps it encrypted. The company’s setup materials say the video may be used for account access, age verification for certain Google features, or creation of an AI avatar, depending on user choices. Ars also reports that Google includes an optional setting allowing the video to be used to improve facial recognition systems; a Google spokesperson said opting in is not required for account recovery and that the video will not be used for other purposes if the user leaves that box unchecked.

When a user later attempts selfie-based recovery, Google asks them to move their head to show liveness and compares the new capture with the stored video. The company says it has safeguards intended to detect deepfakes, though Ars notes that AI-generated video raises security questions and that the feature is excluded from Google’s higher-security Advanced Protection accounts.

The rollout matters because it adds a biometric recovery path alongside existing tools such as backup codes and recovery contacts, while also creating privacy and security tradeoffs for users who choose to store a facial video with Google.