Google has started rolling out a new way to recover access to your account if you’ve lost your phone or forgotten your password: a “selfie video” verification option.
After recording a short video of your face during setup, you can later submit another video during account recovery to prove you are who you claim to be and regain access.
On paper, this sounds like a user‑friendly solution to account lockouts. In practice, it introduces new security and privacy questions. It also raises concerns about deepfakes and creates another repository of sensitive biometric data that could become a target if compromised.
The idea is: you open your Google Account, go to Security & sign‑in, choose Selfie video, and follow guided prompts to record a short video with your face and basic movements. Google stores this enrolment video and later compares new videos you submit during sign‑in or account recovery to confirm your identity.
Image courtesy of 9to5google.com
