Tired of typing in your mobile's unlock code every time you want to log into Twitter from the depths of your couch? If you have an Android smartphone, there is a simple solution to automatically unlock your phone when you are at home.
Android is full of small features that are not always well known to the general public and yet quite practical. Smart Lock is one of them. Buried in the depths of the system settings, this option allows you to not bother with the unlock code of your smartphone when you are at home.
As soon as your phone's geolocation detects that you are at home, your mobile will remain unlocked, eliminating the need to enter a code or pattern each time you want to connect to Twitter or Instagram. Here's how to take advantage of it.
Usage precautions
Before starting the tutorial, a few small details to keep in mind. If you share your home with someone else, that person will also have access to your phone.
Second, the feature relies on geolocation. If you have disabled the latter for privacy reasons, you will not be able to use it.
Once these clarifications are made, it is time to get started.
How to activate Smart Lock?
Technically, Smart Lock is embedded on almost all Android phones. However, its location may vary from phone to phone.
On most mobiles, the option can be found in the Settings app, then in the Security tab and finally in the Smart Lock section.
On Samsung mobiles, this is still played in the Settings application, but then you have to go to the Lock screen tab to find the Smart Lock option.
The procedure to access Smart Lock on a Samsung smartphone
Source: Screenshot
Once you find the option, click on it and enter your unlock pattern or code.
You will then arrive on a screen listing several options. Click Verified Places, and on the screen that appears, tap Add Verified Place. You will find yourself on a Google Maps on which you can move the little dot to place it wherever you want (at home, or possibly at your place of work too). A field at the top of the screen allows you to search for an address.
Once you have chosen your location, click on Select this location and you can then give it a name. Once the location has been validated, there is nothing more to do, your phone will remain unlocked as soon as you enter the defined area!
How to Add an Address on Smart Lock
Source: Numerama screenshot
You can add as many addresses as you want, but be careful not to multiply them too much. Especially since geolocation is not precise to the nearest meter, the unlocking zone can extend beyond the walls of your home.
Other features of Smart Lock
As we have seen, Smart Lock offers options other than geolocation to keep your phone unlocked. The Verified devices option allows you, for example, to do without your code as long as your phone is connected to a Bluetooth device (connected watch, earphones, etc.).
On the other hand, we advise against activating the option Device detection when it is carried which, after an initial entry of your code, will keep your phone unlocked when it is in motion. This opens the door to a lot of problems if your phone is stolen, for example.