ModernAndroid smartphonesoffer biometric security features, like fingerprint and face unlock, to provide an instantaneous and seamless unlocking experience. However, every once in a while, your smartphone asks you to enter your password, and it can be frustrating.
Android offers two features to alleviate this issue. Both features ensure you never have to enter your phone password again. These features are called Nearby Unlock and Smart Lock. In this guide, we go through both of these features and tell you how these features differ from each other.
Why you should use Nearby Unlock or Smart Lock
Keeping a security lock on your phone is paramount, as it prevents unauthorized access to your data. However, entering your password to unlock your smartphone can be a hassle. With shoulder surfing attacks becoming popular, entering your password in public has become dangerous. While the newenhanced PIN protection featurein Android 14 prevents this to some degree, it is not a foolproof solution.
That’s why you need an unlocking solution that ensures password-less entry without compromising the security of your Android device. Nearby Unlock and Smart Lock features allow you to do exactly that, and that’s why you should activate and use these features on your phone.
What is Nearby Unlock
When COVID-19 was wreaking havoc, and we were all wearing masks, the face unlock systems on iPhones and Android became useless, forcing users to enter passwords every time they wanted to use their phones. To solve this issue, Apple released an Auto Unlock feature that uses a user’s Apple Watch authentication to unlock the iPhone.
Google followed suit,testing a similar feature called Nearby Unlockon its Pixel smartphones with theAndroid 13update. Nearby Unlock (also known as Watch Unlock) uses your Wear OS smartwatch to automatically authenticate you, thus unlocking your phone without a password. The feature uses a new Active Unlock API that automatically unlocks your phone when your face or fingerprint authentication fails. It only works when you are wearing the smartwatch in an unlocked stage.
How to activate Nearby Unlock
Nearby Unlock, renamedWatch Unlock, is still in the testing phase. If you run the Android 14 beta on your phone, you’ll find this feature by going toSettings>Security & privacy>More security & privacy. You’ll see the new Watch Unlock feature here. Tap it and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
What is Smart Lock
Android Smart Lock uses your smartphone’s sensors and location data to keep your phone unlocked. It allows you to set three scenarios in which your phone remains unlocked.
There used to be a fourth system calledTrusted Face and Voice Matchunlock, which used voice and facial recognition, but it has been fazed out and is no longer available.
Difference between Smart Lock trusted devices and Nearby Unlock
The main difference between Smart Lock trusted devices and the Nearby Unlock feature is that the former keeps your Android device unlocked while the latter can unlock your device from a locked state.
The trusted devices feature uses a Bluetooth connection between your Android phone and connected devices, including smartwatches, car infotainment systems, and keyboards, to keep your phone unlocked. The problem with this method is that it’s not secure, as your phone remains unlocked as long as the Bluetooth connection is maintained.
Nearby Unlock doesn’t have this issue. It uses a new Active Unlock API that unlocks your phone when your primary authentication method, such as face or fingerprint authentication, fails. It means your phone stays locked until you want to unlock it.
Also, for this feature to work, you need to wear your watch in an unlocked state, and it should be within 4 inches of the phone, which is not a requirement for the Smart Lock trusted devices feature. Your phone remains unlocked, even if you take off your smartwatch. Nearby Unlock works only with Wear OS devices and not any other Bluetooth devices.
Another thing to note here is that Nearby Unlock is still in the testing phase and has not been released to the public, while Smart Lock is available to use right now.
How to activate Smart Lock on your Android smartphone
While the Nearby Unlock feature is still in testing, you can activate Smart Lock on your Android phone using the phone’s settings app. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Google Smart Lock works on all modern Android smartphones, including Google Pixel phones, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, OnePlus devices, and more. So, whatever smartphone brand you prefer, you can use this feature on your device.
How to use Smart Lock with your Google Pixel Watch
Keep your Pixel Watch ready to go at all times
How to activate Google Smart Lock on Chromebooks
Google Smart Lock also allows users tounlock their Chromebooks via their Android smartphone. Before you proceed with these steps, ensure you have logged in using the same Google account on your Chromebook and Android phone.
Now, your Chromebook doesn’t require a password when your phone is nearby.
How to quickly turn off Smart Lock on Android
While these features are convenient, there might be times when you want to quickly turn off these features to prevent unauthorized access to your smartphone. In critical situations, going to the Settings app and turning off this feature might not be feasible.
To help you quickly turn on Smart Lock on Android, Google released aLockdownfeature that deactivates Smart Lock and biometric authentication such as fingerprint and face unlock. In lockdown mode, your phone doesn’t show any notification on the lock screen for extra privacy.
Your Android phone remains locked until you unlock it with your password. The good thing about Lockdown mode is that it’s temporary and is deactivated when you enter your passcode to unlock your device. You can activate it any time you want using the same steps.
Smart Lock vs. Nearby Unlock: different flavors, same experience
Nearby Unlock is a more secure and superior method for allowing password-less entry to your smartphone. Google has yet to release this feature to the public, so we might see some changes before the final release with the Android 14 update.
Android operating system is full of features that make our lives more convenient. If you want to know what other new featuresAndroid 14will bring to your smartphone, click the link to find out.
