Used them for the first time ever 2 weeks ago. At Birmingham where it states anyone over 12 can use them whereas at Manchester where we usually fly from as a family it’s over 18s only so we don’t.
They worked fine for me my wife and 17 year old daughter but not my 15 year old son.
Surprisingly enough his face has change since he had the photo taken when he was 11.
I was amazed how quick it was for me. Gate was open and I was walking through before I’d had chance to think “is my passport in the right way round?”

you wouldn’t go through a supermarket checkout then carry all your stuff over to a table on the other side of the room before you pack your bags.

All your stuff? It’s in a tray. Pick up the tray and more your lazy arse 2m’s to the table. Then take as long as you want.

Surprisingly enough his face has change since he had the photo taken when he was 11.

Face recognition uses things like the distance between points on your face which tends not to change as you grow or get fat/thin etc.

I have a sneaking suspicion that most of the “sophisticated facial recognition software” is really just a web cam that gets displayed to some bod in a hidden office who gets to press a button if you look too shifty or a bit explodey.