Skip to content
BranchesTags

Repository files navigation

README – System Faced on Android 15 (Samsung Face Unlock Port)

Warning
This guide is for experienced users who know how to unpack/modify/repack system images and flash them safely.
You do this entirely at your own risk – bootloops and data loss are possible.

1. Requirements

  • Device on Android 15 with a system layout like system_root/system/... (In this case is ExtremeRom 2.6.0 used)
  • Target device family: beyondx in this example (Galaxy S10 series family, adjust to your exact variant, tested on S10/e/+/5G)
  • Access to:
    • Your current ROM’s system / system_ext
    • The stock Samsung ROM for your device (latest Version) for original libraries and APKs
  • Tools:
    • Linux/WSL or similar environment for resigning
    • patchelf
    • APK tooling: apktool, zipalign, apksigner (or equivalent)
    • Image tools: payload dumper / simg2img / etc., depending on how your ROM ships the system image
  • Platform keys (or the keys your ROM uses) to re-sign priv-apps
  • Ability to flash modified system/system_ext (fastboot, Odin, custom recovery, etc.)
  • A brain
  • Common sense (optional)
  • Ability to read (IMPORTANT)

2. Prepare Working Directory

  1. Extract your ROM’s system partition to a working directory so you have:

    system_root/
  system/
  system_ext/

  2. Extract the stock ROM somewhere else (for example stock/) – you will copy several .so files and APKs from there.

3. Add faced Binary and Init Script

3.1 Add faced Binary

Place the faced binary into:

system_root/system/bin/faced

Set the SELinux file context for it to:

/system/bin/faced    u:object_r:faced_exec:s0

How you apply this depends on your ROM: usually via file_contexts / file_contexts.bin or .cil overlays.

3.2 Add faced.rc Init Service

Add the init rc file:

system_root/system/etc/init/faced.rc

Ensure faced.rc defines the service faced entry pointing at /system/bin/faced and running in the faced SELinux domain.

4. Permissions XML Files

In system_root/system/etc/Permissions:

  1. Add:

    system_root/system/etc/Permissions/privapp-permissions-com.samsung.android.biometrics.app.setting.xml
system_root/system/etc/Permissions/biofaceservice.xml

  2. Remove:

    system_root/system/etc/Permissions/android.hardware.biometrics.face.xml

This removes the generic AOSP face permission definition and replaces it with Samsung face-related permissions.

5. Patch framework.jar

Replace or patch:

system_root/system/framework/framework.jar

with the patched version from this repo (the one prepared for this System Faced setup).

6. Add Face HAL and Vendor Libraries

6.1 Generic Face HAL

Add:

system_root/system/lib64/hw/face.default.so

(From stock ROM)

6.2 Samsung / Vendor Face Libraries (from Stock)

From the stock ROM, copy and overwrite the following into your working tree:

system_root/system/lib64/android.hardware.biometrics.face@1.0.so
system_root/system/lib64/libsecfr_engine.so
system_root/system/lib64/libsecfr_model.so
system_root/system/lib64/libteecl.so
system_root/system/lib64/vendor.samsung.hardware.biometrics.face@2.0.so

These are Samsung’s face biometrics libraries needed for the service.

7. Handle libFaceService and Library Conflicts

From stock, take:

  • libFaceService.so
  • libutils.so
  • libstagefright_foundation.so

Then, in your working system_root, place them as:

system_root/system/lib64/libFaceService.so
system_root/system/lib64/libstagefright_foundation_face.so
system_root/system/lib64/libutils_face.so

Now run patchelf on libFaceService.so in your working tree:

cd system_root/system/lib64

patchelf --replace-needed libstagefright_foundation.so libstagefright_foundation_face.so libFaceService.so
patchelf --replace-needed libutils.so libutils_face.so libFaceService.so

This avoids conflicts with the system-wide libutils and libstagefright_foundation which would lead to bootloops.

8. Apps & APKs (BioFaceService, Settings, SystemUI)

You must ensure the following priv-apps exist and are patched/resigned as needed. You NEED to resign them, otherwise - Bootloop.

  1. Add BioFaceService:

    system_root/system/priv-app/BioFaceService/          (directory)
system_root/system/priv-app/BioFaceService/BioFaceService.apk

  2. Patch from repo and replace existing:

    system_root/system/priv-app/BiometricSetting/BiometricSetting.apk
system_root/system/priv-app/SecSettings/SecSettings.apk
system_root/system/system_ext/priv-app/SystemUI/SystemUI.apk

  3. Re-sign with the correct keys (matching your ROM’s platform / priv-app keys):

    • BioFaceService.apk
    • BiometricSetting.apk
    • SecSettings.apk
    • SystemUI.apk
    • Any modified framework components if needed (framework.jar, etc.)

Ensure you run zipalign and apksigner (or equivalent) on any rebuilt APKs, then verify signatures.

9. SELinux Policy Changes (system_ext)

Edit:

system_root/system/system_ext/etc/selinux/system_ext_sepolicy.cil

Append/merge the following definitions and rules:

(roletype object_r ewlogd_exec)
(type faced)
(roletype object_r faced)
(type faced_exec)
(roletype object_r faced_exec)

(type faced_service)
(roletype object_r faced_service)

(typetransition init ewlogd_exec process ewlogd)
(allow init faced_exec (file (read getattr map execute open)))
(allow init faced (process (transition)))
(allow faced faced_exec (file (read getattr map execute open entrypoint)))
(dontaudit init faced (process (noatsecure)))
(allow init faced (process (siginh rlimitinh)))
(typetransition init faced_exec process faced)
(allow faced servicemanager (binder (call transfer)))
(allow servicemanager faced (binder (call transfer)))
(allow servicemanager faced (dir (search)))
(allow servicemanager faced (file (read open)))
(allow servicemanager faced (process (getattr)))
(allow faced system_server (binder (call)))
(allow faced system_app (binder (call)))
(allow faced permission_service (service_manager (find)))
(allow faced activity_service (service_manager (find)))
(allow faced faced_service (service_manager (add)))
(allow system_server faced_service (service_manager (find)))
(allow system_app faced_service (service_manager (add)))

(allow system_server faced_service (service_manager (find)))

(typeattributeset domain (... faced ...))

(typeattributeset file_type (... face_vendor_data_file ... faced_exec ...))

(typeattributeset exec_type (... faced_exec ...))

(typeattributeset system_file_type (... faced_exec ...))

(typeattributeset app_api_service (... face_service ... smartfaceservice_service ...))

(typeattributeset service_manager_type (... face_service ... faced_service ... smartfaceservice_service ...))

(typeattributeset binderservicedomain (... faced ...))

(typeattributeset coredomain (... faced ...))

Notes:

  • The ... entries mean: add faced / faced_exec / faced_service etc. into the existing typeattributeset lists instead of duplicating the entire definition.
  • After editing, validate SELinux policies with your ROM’s build tools (if available) to avoid boot issues.

10. build.prop Changes

Edit:

system_root/system/build.prop
  1. Change:
ro.product.system.name=r12sxxx

to:

ro.product.system.name=beyondxxxx

(adjust to your exact device family identifier, THIS IS IMPORTANT).

  1. Add or adjust the device property (depending on your device, THIS TOO):
ro.product.device=beyondx

Ensure these values match what Samsung expects for your device. This matters because in the libsecfr components Samsung compares the ro.product.device= string against beyondx to enable if the device is a S10 5G the second ToF camera.

Following this, the setup crashes on a missing cam, or a TEE which rejects missing data, depending on which device you would mess up.

11. Repack and Flash

  1. Repack your modified system_root into a proper system image.

  2. Flash the modified system.img via your usual method

  3. After flashing:

    • Wipe Dalvik / ART cache.
    • Optionally wipe cache to prevent leftover issues.

  4. Boot the device.

12. Post-Flash Checks

After boot:

  1. Verify that the faced service is running (for example via logcat or ps -A | grep faced).
  2. Check logcat for SELinux denials (avc: denied) related to faced or face services and adjust policy if needed.
  3. Open Settings → Biometrics / Face (exact path depends on ROM/Samsung base):
    • Confirm that Face Unlock / Face Registration options appear and works.
    • Register a face and test face unlock / authentication.

13. Quick File Change Summary

Add:

  • system_root/system/bin/faced
  • system_root/system/etc/init/faced.rc
  • system_root/system/etc/Permissions/privapp-permissions-com.samsung.android.biometrics.app.setting.xml
  • system_root/system/etc/Permissions/biofaceservice.xml
  • patched system_root/system/framework/framework.jar
  • system_root/system/lib64/hw/face.default.so
  • system_root/system/lib64/android.hardware.biometrics.face@1.0.so
  • system_root/system/lib64/libsecfr_engine.so
  • system_root/system/lib64/libsecfr_model.so
  • system_root/system/lib64/libteecl.so
  • system_root/system/lib64/vendor.samsung.hardware.biometrics.face@2.0.so
  • system_root/system/lib64/libFaceService.so (with patched dependencies)
  • system_root/system/lib64/libstagefright_foundation_face.so
  • system_root/system/lib64/libutils_face.so
  • system_root/system/priv-app/BioFaceService/BioFaceService.apk
  • patched:
    • system_root/system/priv-app/BiometricSetting/BiometricSetting.apk
    • system_root/system/priv-app/SecSettings/SecSettings.apk
    • system_root/system/system_ext/priv-app/SystemUI/SystemUI.apk
  • SELinux rules in system_root/system/system_ext/etc/selinux/system_ext_sepolicy.cil

Remove:

  • system_root/system/etc/Permissions/android.hardware.biometrics.face.xml

Edit:

  • system_root/system/build.prop
  • SELinux file contexts (for /system/bin/faced)
  • Policy file system_ext_sepolicy.cil

Use this README as your step-by-step checklist while building and flashing your System Faced setup on Android 15.

Signing

The sign_apk function wraps the apksigner binary so you can quickly sign APKs from the current directory using a predefined signer directory containing:

  • apksigner – the signing tool (e.g. from the Android build output)
  • platform.pk8 – the private key
  • platform.x509.pem – the certificate

By default, the signer directory is expected at:

$HOME/Desktop/signer

You can adjust this path in the function if your setup differs.

Shell Function

Add the following function to your shell configuration (e.g. ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc):

sign_apk() {
  local APK_NAME="$1"
  local SIGNER_DIR="$HOME/Desktop/signer"

  if [ -z "$APK_NAME" ]; then
    echo "Usage: sign_apk <apk-name-in-current-dir>"
    return 1
  fi

  "$SIGNER_DIR/apksigner" sign     --key "$SIGNER_DIR/platform.pk8"     --cert "$SIGNER_DIR/platform.x509.pem"     --out "$SIGNER_DIR/$APK_NAME"     "$PWD/$APK_NAME"
}

After adding it, reload your shell configuration, for example:

source ~/.bashrc
# or
source ~/.zshrc

Usage

  1. Copy the APK you want to sign into any directory.
  2. Make sure the apksigner binary and the platform key/cert files exist in your signer directory:
    • $HOME/Desktop/signer/apksigner
    • $HOME/Desktop/signer/platform.pk8
    • $HOME/Desktop/signer/platform.x509.pem
  3. From the directory containing the APK, run:
sign_apk my-app-unsigned.apk
  1. The signed APK will be written to the signer directory as:
$HOME/Desktop/signer/my-app-unsigned.apk

(With the same filename you passed to the function.)

Getting apksigner and Platform Keys

  • Custom versions of apksigner can be downloaded or built from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repositories.
  • In a typical Android build tree, apksigner and the platform keys are available in the build output. For example, the platform.pk8 and platform.x509.pem files are part of the standard AOSP platform signing keys used to sign system images.

Note: The AOSP default platform keys are publicly known and are intended for development/testing only. Do not use them for production builds.

Other stuff

  • Works on latest s24fe Base
  • Tested successfully on S10e, S10, S10+, S10 5G. Thanks to all the testers <3

---Made with luuuvvvve by Crecker---

Git Apply

  • Please apply the patches with one line of fuzz to ensure that the hashes dont cause trouble
git apply -C1 patch.diff

About

A Legacy FaceID port for the S10 & Other S10 models for Android 13 & 15

Resources

Readme
Activity

Stars

0 stars

Watchers

0 watching

Forks

0 forks
Report repository

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages