---
slug: "gcp-video-intelligence-api-face-detection-smiling-attribute-breaking-change"
title: "Video Intelligence API: face detection smiling attribute removal"
summary: "From 14 Jan 2027, the smiling attribute in DetectedAttribute of the Video Intelligence API is permanently removed for all projects. Since 15 Oct 2026, the attribute is no longer returned for new projects or projects without recent Face Detection usage."
cloud: "gcp"
service: "Video Intelligence API"
service_slug: "video-intelligence-api"
category: "feature"
type: "breaking_change"
announced_date: null
effective_date: "2027-01-14"
effective_precision: "day"
replacement: null
affected_versions: []
source_url: "https://docs.cloud.google.com/release-notes#October_15_2026"
extra_source_urls: ["https://docs.cloud.google.com/video-intelligence/docs/reference/rest/v1/AnnotateVideoResponse#DetectedAttribute"]
vendor_ref: null
last_checked_at: "2026-11-14T17:00:09.102Z"
created_at: "2026-11-14T17:02:50.527Z"
updated_at: "2026-11-14T17:02:50.527Z"
url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/gcp-video-intelligence-api-face-detection-smiling-attribute-breaking-change"
short_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/i/fe"
markdown_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/gcp-video-intelligence-api-face-detection-smiling-attribute-breaking-change.md"
json_url: "https://eolwatch.dev/items/gcp-video-intelligence-api-face-detection-smiling-attribute-breaking-change.json"
source_note: null
---

# Video Intelligence API: face detection smiling attribute removal

From 14 Jan 2027, the smiling attribute in DetectedAttribute of the Video Intelligence API is permanently removed for all projects. Since 15 Oct 2026, the attribute is no longer returned for new projects or projects without recent Face Detection usage.

- Effective date: 14 Jan 2027
- Cloud: [GCP](https://eolwatch.dev/cloud/gcp.md)
- Service: [Video Intelligence API](https://eolwatch.dev/services/gcp/video-intelligence-api.md)
- Type: Breaking change
- Category: [Feature](https://eolwatch.dev/categories/features.md)
- Replacement: Not stated by vendor
- Announced: Not stated by vendor
- Official source: [docs.cloud.google.com](https://docs.cloud.google.com/release-notes#October_15_2026)
- Last checked: 14 Nov 2026

## What breaks

Google has deprecated the emotion label response for face detection (FACE_DETECTION) in the Video Intelligence API. From 14 Jan 2027, the smiling attribute in DetectedAttribute is permanently removed for all projects. Since 15 Oct 2026, the attribute is no longer returned for new projects or projects without recent Face Detection usage. Google also states that the Video Intelligence API as a whole has been deprecated since 14 Sep 2026 and will be shut down on 14 Sep 2027.

## What to do

Google's [face detection guide](https://docs.cloud.google.com/video-intelligence/docs/face-detection) says not to use the smiling attribute shown in its code samples. Google has not published other migration steps for this change. For the shutdown of the whole API, Google recommends migrating to the Gemini family of models.

## Replacement

Not stated by vendor.

## Sources

- [Official source](https://docs.cloud.google.com/release-notes#October_15_2026) (docs.cloud.google.com, Official)
- [Additional source](https://docs.cloud.google.com/video-intelligence/docs/reference/rest/v1/AnnotateVideoResponse#DetectedAttribute) (docs.cloud.google.com, Official)

Last checked against the first source in this list on 14 Nov 2026.

Page: https://eolwatch.dev/items/gcp-video-intelligence-api-face-detection-smiling-attribute-breaking-change | JSON: https://eolwatch.dev/items/gcp-video-intelligence-api-face-detection-smiling-attribute-breaking-change.json

The text on this page is drafted with AI assistance from the vendor's text, checked against the official source and approved by a person before it is published.