Your Android phone will then scan your face, essentially taking a mugshot that it can use for comparison’s sake. To get started, tap Settings > Security > Smart Lock > Trusted face, then tap Set Up. But here’s the first of two “smart lock” modes that actually try to identify you, in this case by looking with the camera lens and matching your face with a previously scanned-in portrait.Īndroid’s “trusted face” feature will work better if you take multiple scans of your mug. So far, the “smart lock” methods we’ve covered only use circumstantial evidence-like proximity to your home address, or the motion of riding in a pocket-to deduce that you’re you. To set up a trusted device, tap Settings > Smart Lock > Trusted devices, then tap Add trusted device. Since NFC stickers are relatively cheap (you can get a 10-pack for about $12 or so), you could affordably put multiple stickers around the house-like, say, near your PC, on your bedside table, or anywhere else you regularly place your phone. NFC (short for “near field communications”) signals only have a range of about 20 centimeters, meaning your phone would instantly lock itself once it wandered less than a foot from a “trusted” NFC sticker. If 30 yards still sounds like too large an area in which to keep your phone unlocked, you can zoom in even further by using an NFC sticker as your “trusted” device. Bluetooth transmission can still have a pretty decent range-anywhere from 30 to 100 yards, depending on the device, nearby interference, and other factors-but that’s still smaller than a whole city block. You can designate anything from a Bluetooth speaker to an NFC sticker as a “trusted” device for Android’s “smart lock” feature.Īndroid’s “trusted device” setting will leave your phone unlocked whenever it’s in range of a “trusted” Bluetooth device, like a Bluetooth speaker, headset, or car stereo. If you’re confident your phone can remain safely unlocked while you’re inside your four walls, there’s a “smart lock” setting you should try. There’s no place like home-and, hopefully, there’s no place as safe as home, either. Keep your phone unlocked at home, at work, or near another specific place Indeed, most of the “smart lock” settings I’m about to cover have their own pitfalls and vulnerabilities, so if you’re really paranoid about security, you might want to stick with a PIN, a passcode, or touch ID. Note: In case you’re wondering: Yes, the on-body detection setting could leave your phone vulnerable to a thief who grabs your phone out of your hand, or a pickpocket who lifts your handset from your purse. Here’s how you do it: Tap Settings > Security > Smart Lock, confirm your screen lock, tap On-body detection, then flip the On switch. Once you put your phone down on, say, a countertop or a side table, Android will lock down everything after a minute or so. Basically, that means that if your Android device (with help from its motion detectors) senses that it’s in your pocket, riding in your purse, or otherwise in your possession, it’ll leave its screen unlocked. You can save yourself the trouble of unlocking your Android phone when it’s never left your side by setting your handset to stay unlocked whenever it’s on you. Android’s “on-body detection” feature will keep your phone unlocked while it’s riding in your pocket, a purse, or anytime when it’s on you.
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