The Android 12 beta allows you to control your phone using facial expressions

The annual major update of the Android operating system will, as usual, bring a lot of changes and new features, and this time Google wants to strongly focus on people with disabilities. 

In addition to its own accessibility applications, Google offers a powerful API that allows developers to create tools for people with disabilities. The Android Accessibility Suite beta, which was part of the fourth beta of Android 12 (this one recently appeared on Pixel phones), includes a new way to control your phone. 

Camera Switches basically let you use facial gestures to perform a variety of actions on an Android 12 device.

Camera Switches basically let you use facial gestures to perform a variety of actions on an Android 12 device.

"Camera Switches" substantially face allow you to use gestures to perform a range of activities. For example, we can set the application to detect a smile or a raised eyebrow to open the notification panel or quick settings. We can also open our mouths to fast forward or rewind the image. As the XDA developers have noted, the update allows about six facial gestures to be mapped to a dozen phone controls. They can also be customized based on the size of the gestures to prevent the app from initiating actions continuously.

Camera Switches are based on the Switch Access feature in Android Accessibility Suite, which allows you to interact with your device without using a touchscreen. Depending on the context, this can be done with an external device such as a keyboard, via a USB connection, Bluetooth, or by pressing the built-in buttons on the phone. In that sense, Camera Switches take the feature even higher by introducing gestures into the package. Given that most people are already used to unlocking phones by face, the new possibilities in this regard shouldn't seem completely alien.

When using Camera Switches, we will see a constant notification icon that indicates the camera is in use. However, since Android 12's privacy panel already includes a status indicator for both the camera and microphone, this feature may be unnecessary. XDA was also able to sideload the APK of the app to get a new feature on Android 11.