Google unveils new way to unlock your phone
Google has come up with a new way for your smartwatch to unlock your smartphone. With Watch Unlock you can swipe the screen of your watch and then use your phone and that works as an alternative to the fingerprint scanner or facial recognition.
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At the CES technology fair in Las Vegas, Android is represented with a stand where a number of recent functions are explained. Google has not yet released anything about Watch Unlock, but the function can already be seen at the fair, according to Android Police.
You may already be familiar with Smart lock. That’s a feature that keeps your phone unlocked when a Bluetooth device like a smartwatch is connected. The new Watch Unlock builds on that idea, but it adds an extra layer of security. Your phone not only checks whether there is a connection with your smartwatch, but also whether your smartwatch is on your wrist, because you have to swipe on the screen of your watch to unlock it. In this way, Google wants to prevent others from accessing your phone just because your watch is nearby.
The new feature appears to be the first to work with the Pixel Watch, but it’s possible that it will eventually become available on all watches running Wear OS 3. It’s also important to note that this unlocking method also comes with limitations, as you can for example, don’t use them to access saved passwords or your banking app. Your fingerprint scanner or PIN code is still required for this. Watch Unlock is not available at this time, but it is expected in the coming weeks or months.
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5 methods to unlock your phone
Did you know that there are many other different ways to unlock your smartphone? In addition to the fingerprint scanner, facial recognition, a smartwatch and your PIN code, there is also such a thing as body detection and unlocking in trusted places. We discuss five unlocking methods in this article. What do you think is the most convenient way? Let us know in the comments.
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