Stop Disabling the Lock Screen, Use Android Smart Lock Instead
Locking your phone screen regularly can be annoying. So much so that a third of Android users do not lock their phones at all , and those who choose painfully obvious PIN codes or patterns . Fortunately, there is a better way: it’s called Smart Lock for Android.
I use a Nexus 6P as my daily driver, which has a fingerprint sensor on the back. I also have a smartwatch connection to bypass the lock screen when I’m near my phone. Meanwhile, I almost never have to unlock my phone in the usual way. However, when I move away from the phone, it immediately locks up. When I temporarily lost my phone at the airport it came in handy. When I came to pick it up, they asked me to unblock it. As soon as I was back within reach of my phone, my watch immediately unlocked it and I was on my way. Smart Lock in Android proved to be the perfect balance between security and convenience. This is why you should use it too.
What is Smart Lock for Android?
Smart Lock for Android is actually a subset of the broader Google Smart Lock program designed to make it easier for users to keep safe. Simply put, Smart Lock is a password manager for people who are too lazy to use password managers . It is not the most secure option in the world and it cannot compare to dedicated password managers , but it is better than using the same insecure password for everything.
Smart Lock for Android works in a similar way. Google knows that you are not going to use a long password or complex pattern on your phone if it is inconvenient. Thus, Smart Lock allows you to set up safe situations that completely bypass the lock screen. You can turn off the lock screen based on location, when a specific Bluetooth device is connected, when your phone recognizes your voice, or for a number of other circumstances . Combined with the fingerprint sensor (if your phone has one), you can customize an ultra-durable lock screen for your phone without ever giving you any inconvenience.
First, set up a secure lock screen
For all of this to matter, you’ll need a solid lock screen to get started. On Android, you have several options that vary in complexity and security:
- PIN: PIN blocking is more convenient because it only requires you to remember a few numbers. While many users choose a 4-digit PIN, on Android you can use up to 16 digits. If you’re creating a PIN that you don’t plan to use often, it will probably be better for longer.
- Pattern: Pattern locking is unique to Android. If you choose to go this route, avoid creating often recognizable shapes like letters and keep your screen clean .
- Password: Using a password will probably be the hardest way to lock your phone, but you’ll have a lot more flexibility to create something secure . Depending on how much you rely on Smart Lock, this might be a good option for some.
When choosing a lock screen, keep in mind that sometimes you will still have to manually unlock it. For example, after a restart, Smart Lock will not work until you unlock the phone once normally. There may also be gaps where your trusted Smart Lock scripts do not overlap with each other. You will still need to give yourself a screen lock method that you can remember, but you can afford to be a little more restrictive as you won’t be using it dozens of times a day.
Customize Safe Smart Lock Scripts for Your Life
If you have a secure lock screen, you can set up Smart Lock to bypass it. You can find these options under the Security section of your phone’s Settings app. While none of them are completely safe, some options provided by Google are less secure than others.
- Trusted Devices: Trusted devices allow you to unlock your phone whenever it is paired with a Bluetooth device such as a smart watch , earphone, or your car. You can also use a secure NFC tag. Trusted devices are probably the safest Smart Lock option as it only unlocks your phone with what you have . If you are using a device such as a watch or a Bluetooth headset that is always with you, then this means that your phone will only unlock if it is within Bluetooth range of you. Just be careful not to add too many devices, and make sure you always know where your trusted device is.
- Trusted Places: Smart Lock can set up geofences that automatically unlock your device while you are in a specific area such as your home or office. Trusted Locations are based on your GPS, so the “location” you choose is actually a radius that can be up to 80 meters. So, if you can unlock your phone at home, your neighbors can do that too. More importantly, as Google points out on its support page , someone could (if unlikely) use specialized hardware to spoof the GPS signal and unlock your phone.
- Nexus Fingerprint and Fingerprint Sensors: Technically, fingerprint sensors are not included in the Smart Lock program, but they are one of the best ways to unlock your phone. On Nexus devices, the fingerprint sensor is part of the Nexus Imprint software, which you can use to unlock your device, pay for items in the Play Store, and sign in to certain apps. Other devices with fingerprint sensors may also perform similar functions, but they may differ depending on your manufacturer. It is unlikely that a common person could fake your fingerprint as well. If you have the option of getting a phone with fingerprint unlocking, we highly recommend it.
Most of the other options are nifty tricks, but we don’t recommend them for security reasons. You can unlock your phone with a face, which can be faked by a Photoshop video , or your voice, which can be faked by recording your utterance of the activation phrase. While both are unlikely, they are also too simple to be truly reliable. Google’s body detection is also a nifty ploy, but even Google claims it can’t reliably determine when it’s on your body and not someone else’s.
None of the options for locking your phone will ever be completely secure, but among all the Smart Lock options available, you can probably create a security scheme that works for you. You should also make sure that you have Android Device Manager enabled as a backup so that you can remotely lock or wipe data from your phone if you lose it.