Mahesh Makvana · August 7, 2020 · 6 min read Smart Lock is a security feature in Android that lets you easily and quickly unlock your Android-based phones and tablets. You can specify the conditions for when Smart Lock should keep your phone unlocked.
Smart Lock has several unlocking conditions that you can configure and use. When you satisfy one of these conditions, your phone becomes or remains unlocked. As soon as your phone detects that these conditions aren’t fulfilled, your phone locks again. You then need to unlock your phone like you normally do.
How To Set Up On-Body Detection In Android Smart Lock
On-body detection is a Smart Lock condition that keeps your phone unlocked when your phone is on you. This condition uses the built-in accelerometer and other sensors on your phone to recognize if the phone is moving or is sitting idle (motionless).
When you’re using your phone and your phone is in motion, the on-body detection condition gets fulfilled and your phone remains unlocked. If you put down your phone and there’s no activity, this condition becomes false and your phone gets locked.
- Open the Android Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap the option that says Security & lock screen.
- Tap Smart Lock on the following screen. This is where you configure various Smart Lock methods.
- Enter the PIN for your device and continue.
- Tap the On-body detection method on the screen that follows.
- You’ll see a toggle named Off at the top. Turn this toggle to the ON position to enable the On-body detection method.
- Tap Continue in the prompt to enable the method.
This method doesn’t check the user identity. Because of that, your phone will remain unlocked and usable no matter who’s using it. You may only want to use this method when you can be sure you’re the only person with access to the phone.
You can disable this feature by turning the toggle to OFF in the second to last step above.
How To Set Up Trusted Places In Android Smart Lock
If you want to keep your device unlocked at certain locations, you can use the Trusted Places feature. This feature lets you manually define your trusted locations. When you’re in those locations, your phone remains unlocked.
When the phone detects you aren’t in a trusted location, your phone will get locked.
This feature uses Google Maps and your phone’s GPS to help pinpoint your location. You can add multiple locations as trusted places.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap Security & lock screen followed by Smart Lock.
- Tap the option that says Trusted places.
- You can now add a trusted place to this method. Tap the Add trusted place option to do that.
- You’ll see the Google Maps screen. Drag the marker to the location that you want to use as a trusted place. Then tap Select this location at the bottom.
- Your phone will ask you to enter a name for your location. Enter a name that helps you recognize this place and tap OK.
- Select the Add trusted place option again to add another location.
- Smart Lock will keep your device unlocked when you’re at your specified locations.
- You can edit your trusted places if your address has changed. Tap a location and select Edit Address. Then choose a new location and tap Select this location.
- If you no longer want to keep a location in trusted places, tap that location and select Delete.
How To Set Up Trusted Devices In Android Smart Lock
The trusted devices method in Smart Lock lets you keep your phone unlocked when one of your trusted devices is connected to your phone. You can use this method with any of your Bluetooth-enabled devices.
This includes your car’s Bluetooth system, headphones or earphones, smart watches that use Bluetooth, and so on. Keep in mind that since this method uses Bluetooth, your Bluetooth devices must be within 100 meters from your phone to keep it unlocked.
- Head to Settings > Security & lock screen > Smart Lock on your phone.
- Tap the Trusted devices option.
- Select the Add Trusted Device option at the lower-right corner.
- Your phone will show the Bluetooth devices you’ve used in the past. Tap one of these devices to connect to that device. If you want to use a device that you haven’t connected to your phone before, you need to go into your Settings and pair with that device first.
- Tap Yes, Add in the prompt on your screen.
- When that Bluetooth device connects to your phone, your phone will unlock and remain unlocked.
- You can add another trusted device by tapping Add trusted device and following the same instructions as above.
- If you don’t want to use your Bluetooth device to unlock your phone, tap your Bluetooth device in the list and choose Remove Trusted Device.
Note: Always keep your trusted Bluetooth devices with you, as anyone who has access to any of your trusted devices can use them to unlock your phone.
How To Set Up Facial Recognition In Android Smart Lock
The facial recognition feature works by scanning your face and matching it with saved face details. If the face matches, your phone unlocks.
Most phones will display a recommendation that this method is less secure than a PIN or password method. Also, someone whose face is similar to yours can unlock your phone. Therefore, you should use this method carefully.
- Go to Settings > Security & lock screen > Smart Lock on your device.
- Select the Trusted face option.
- Tap Set Up at the bottom-right corner to start setting up the method.
- Read the recommendations for how you should scan your face with your phone’s camera. Then tap Next at the bottom.
- You’ll see your camera’s view. Point your camera to your face and make sure your face fits inside the circle.
- Wait for your phone to scan and add your face to the system.
- Tap Done when your face is added to Smart Lock.
- To use this feature, simply turn on your phone. Look at your front camera and your phone will unlock.
- If your phone doesn’t unlock for some reason, tap Improve face matching in Smart Lock to take another photo of yourself in better light conditions.
- You can disable this feature by tapping Remove trusted face. This’ll remove your face details from your phone.
If your phone won’t unlock with your face, you can use your PIN or pattern as an alternate unlock method.
Many people consider entering a PIN or swipe pattern to unlock a phone as boring and time-consuming. Smart Lock removes that hassle and keeps your phone unlocked in predefined trusted situations.
How do you unlock your phone? Do you use a Smart Lock feature or do you prefer the old and traditional PIN or pattern method? Let us know in the comments below.
