I. What is smart lock in Android Lollipop?
Sometimes, it is annoying to type PIN or password again and again to unlock the Android device screen. But you can not afford turning off the security settings for the phone.
Android Lollipop introduced smart lock to solve this problem.
So, Android Lollipop can use your location, your connected devices or your face to unlock the phone automatically. When you are in pre-assigned trusted location, or your Android device is connected to a trusted Bluetooth (or NFC) device, you can just swipe to unlock the phone without entering PIN or pass-code.
Face unlock actually has been introduced since Android Jelly Bean. It is apparently improved significantly in Android Lollipop.
For trusted devices, Motorola introduced Motorola Skip for Moto X based on NFC tags. But no other vendors provide similar options.
For most Android users, smart lock in Android Lollipop is totally new.
II. What are accepted for smart lock in Android Lollipop?
Smart lock in Android Lollipop accepts 3 types of trusted info:
- Trusted devices. You can assign any Bluetooth (NFC is also supported) devices as “trusted”. When your Android device is paired with such devices, you can unblock the screen by a simple swipe.
- Trusted locations. You can use your home location or office location or any other locations as “trusted” places. Once you are in these locations, smart lock will kick in.
- Trusted face. This usually is used for fun.
III. How to enable and configure smart lock in Android Lollipop?
By default, smart lock in Android Lollipop is not turned on in your device. You must manually turned it on and configure it.
Step 1: Enable trusted agents.
Important!! You must first turn on smart lock under Trusted agents before you can see the option under screen security.
So, go to Settings—Security.
Under Advanced, tap Trusted agents as shown below.
Tap Smart lock (Google) to enable it. You can also drag the switch to the right side to enable it.
Once smart lock is enabled, the switch will be in the right side with a blue color.
Step 2. Configure Smart lock in Android Lollipop
After enabling smart lock as a trusted agent in step 1, you will now find a new item of smart lock under Settings—Security as shown below.
Here you can configure smart lock.
Tap Smart lock as shown below.
You will then be asked to provide current screen lock PIN or password to proceed to add trusted devices or trusted locations.
IV. How to add trusted devices to smart lock in Android Lollipop?
Once smart lock is enabled, go to Settings—Security—Smart lock—Trusted devices as shown below.
Tap “add trusted device” as shown below.
You will then prompted to choose device type.
Currently Bluetooth and NFC devices are supported.
In this guide, we use Amazon Echo (it can also work as a Bluetooth speaker) as an example.
Make sure the Bluetooth device is currently connected to your Android device. The Android device will list the connected Bluetooth devices here as shown below.
In this case, it found my Echo.
Tap the Bluetooth device.
You will get the successful page, which indicates the device was registered as a trusted device to unlock the phone.
You can continue to add more trusted devices by following the above-mentioned procedures.
Of course, you can also remove any trusted devices at any time.
In Settings—Security—Smart lock—Trusted devices, tap and hold any of the devices. You will then be prompted with the option to remove it as shown above. Tap OK to remove it from the trusted devices.
V. How to add trusted locations to smart lock in Android Lollipop?
Smart lock in Android Lollipop also allows you to add any addresses as trusted so that the phone will unlock automatically once you are in such locations.
Of course, normally, you may add home and/or work address as trusted addresses for the smart lock.
Step 1: Check current settings for trusted places
You can check current trusted places settings in Settings—Security—Smart lock (as shown below).
None means you haven’t enabled trusted places yet.
Tap Trusted places as shown below.
In trusted places, you can find out that you haven’t added any addresses yet. So, there is no way to enable it.
As instructed in the trusted places settings page, you need add your address in Google Maps.
Step 2: Add your address from Google Maps
Start Google Maps app in your phone.
Tap the navigation icon (3 lines in top right) as shown below.
Tap Settings as shown below.
Tap Edit home or work as shown below to add or edit your home address or work address.
In this guide, we try to use work address as trusted places for the smart lock in Android Lollipop.
So, tap Enter work address as shown below.
You can then type the address, or use current address in the map as your work address.
Once the address is added, you can find it under Edit work address as shown below.
Now, you can exit the Google Maps app.
The updated address will be propagated to smart lock automatically.
Step 3: Enable trusted places for the address added
Now, go to Settings—Security—Smart lock — Trusted places (as shown above).
You should notice, the work address you just added is listed under Work.
But it is not enabled as trusted places for the smart lock yet. You need tap it once to enable it.
Once the address is enabled as a trusted place, the switch in the right side will change the color to blue as shown below.
In the smart lock page, as shown below, the trusted place is also changed from None to Work.
Step 4: Enjoy trusted address for smart lock in Android Lollipop
That’s it.
Once you are in the trusted places, you phone screen will unlock itself automatically.
Please note, the trusted places feature requires internet connection.
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