Google now lets you sign in to your account using a selfie video - The Verge

What the report says

The Verge reports that Google has introduced a new account recovery and sign-in option that uses a short selfie video to help verify a user’s identity. The feature is intended for situations where someone is locked out, has forgotten a password, or cannot use the phone, computer, or two-factor authentication tools normally tied to the account. According to the report, users can check eligibility and set it up through Google’s signin-selfie page.

The setup process asks users to face a camera on a mobile device or computer and follow prompts that capture simple head movements from different angles. Google then stores that reference video in the cloud with encryption, The Verge reported. When the user later needs to prove account ownership, they record another brief video with live movements, which Google compares against the stored version.

Google says the motion prompts are meant to confirm that the video is being captured live, and the company says it uses multiple protections against attempts to impersonate someone with photos or deepfake videos. The stored selfie video can be deleted through the user’s account, and Google says its default purpose is sign-in help, though users may choose to share it for other uses.

The feature is being released through a phased global rollout. The development matters because major online services continue to add alternatives to passwords and traditional two-factor methods, balancing convenience for locked-out users with privacy and security questions around biometric-style identity checks.