Use Face Sensing blocks to create games, interactive stories, and accessible projects. These AI-powered blocks use a machine learning model to detect if they see a face and where a nose, eyes, ears, mouth, etc., are. The blocks do not collect or store personal information, like recordings or images of your face, making it a safe, fun, and creative way to explore the possibilities of AI. (Learn more in our announcement blog post here.)

Is Face Sensing safe and private? Yes. When you are using the Face Sensing blocks, only your computer can sense your face. None of your data is stored or sent to Scratch or any other site. Face Sensing blocks detect faces using a technology called "machine learning" (a subset of AI that enables machines to learn from data), but it is not training on your data while you use it. It has already been trained to see faces using a large number of photos of faces.

 

If I use the "Set Thumbnail" button while my face is on-screen, will it capture an image of my face? When using the Face Sensing extensions, only your computer can sense your face or video motion. None of your data is stored or sent to Scratch or any other site, and your camera view is not captured when setting your project thumbnail, so your data remains private.

 

I changed my mind about using Face Sensing blocks in my project, but the video feed is still on my screen. How can I get rid of it? No problem! If you no longer want to use the Face Sensing extension blocks in your project, remove all of the extension's blocks from the script area (drag blocks to the block palette to delete). Make sure to turn off any stage monitors by ensuring all checkboxes are unchecked in the blocks palette (next to blocks like "face tilt"), too. Save your project. Then, reload it by refreshing the browser or closing and reopening the project. If you want to remove the video feed without removing the Face Sensing blocks, use the "turn video on/off" block from the Video Sensing extension.

 

Why doesn't it always sense my face? The technology behind the Face Sensing blocks is not perfect. It is best at seeing faces that are brightly lit and close to the camera. It will often recognize faces even if they are partly hidden by a mask, glasses, hat, headscarf, or other covering. It does not do well at seeing faces that are far away, in the dark, or hidden. Try testing the blocks in different conditions, with your head in different positions, etc., and see what happens!

 

Does it work with photos or drawings of faces? Can I use them with my action figure or plush toy? Try holding different things with faces up to your camera and see what happens! The Face Sensing blocks can detect faces in photos, and even in drawings. You can try making a smiley face drawing and holding it up to the camera to see if it works.

 

What if my camera is not working? When you load the Face Sensing blocks, you should see video from your computer camera on the Scratch stage. If it doesn't appear, you may need to give Scratch permission to use your camera. Click "allow" when Scratch prompts for permission to use the camera, or check your web browser's settings.

 

Does Face Sensing work on all devices? Our goal is to make Face Sensing blocks work on all devices and web browsers supported by Scratch. Currently, Face Sensing blocks may not work on some Android and iOS devices. They may run slowly on some Chromebooks or older computers.

 

What can I do if Face Sensing feels slow or laggy? Face Sensing may run slowly on some devices. You can try closing other applications and browser tabs. If you are using your webcam in another app while Face Sensing is running (for example, a video call) try turning off your camera in that app.

 

Can I use Face Sensing blocks without a camera? While you can see and edit the code inside Face Sensing projects without a camera, you will need to use your device's camera in order to use Face Sensing functions.

 

I made a Face Sensing project in Scratch Lab. Can I share it on Scratch? Yes! You can upload and share any Scratch Lab projects you previously created and saved that used those experimental Face Sensing blocks. Just choose File>Load from My Computer to load your previously saved file in the project editor.

 

When will Face Sensing be available in languages other than English? Scratch's volunteer translators are working on translating Face Sensing blocks into multiple languages. This work is still in progress, and we hope to share more with you soon.

 

When will Face Sensing be available offline? Our team is hard at work making Face Sensing blocks available for downloadable Scratch Apps. We'll be sure to share an update with you as soon as we have it.