Face Unlock arrives in beta form on the OnePlus 5 just in time for 2018

As promised, you can now unlock the OnePlus 5 with your face, as long as you're prepared to install the beta version of OxygenOS. The feature originally appeared as a OnePlus 5T exclusive, but will now work with the handset that preceded it as well.

Seeing as both phones have the same front-facing camera, the developers at OnePlus shouldn't have had too many problems getting the security tech to work on the OnePlus 5 too. According to company chief Carl Pei, the feature has been added due to "popular demand" from users.

Without any 3D scanning hardware to make use of, the Face Unlock system pushed out here isn't as secure as the Face ID that Apple built into the iPhone X, and it won't work in the dark. However, it's a convenient alternative to using the fingerprint scanner to unlock your phone.

Beta beware

The latest beta update for OnePlus device owners also includes a variety of security patches and bug fixes, as usual. However, this isn't the final version being rolled out over-the-air – you can expect a few bugs to crop up as you use it.

If you do decide you want to take the plunge and start using Face Unlock as soon as possible, follow the instructions on the OnePlus website to install the beta OS. Bear in mind that in some cases data might get wiped from the phone during the upgrade, so be sure to get everything backed up beforehand.

Otherwise, just be patient and wait for the feature to hit the stable version of OxygenOS, which will show up on your phone as normal. OnePlus' next trick is likely to be the OnePlus 6, which is tipped to have a more sophisticated face unlocking system built in.