GOOGLEGoogle Testing A New “On-Body Detection” Unlock Mode For Lollipop
Android 5.0 Lollipop introduces quite a bit of changes coming from Android 4.4 KitKat. But it seems like Google is keen on adding more features to the devices, making it more convenient for the customers.
This new feature that we've come across are known as "on-body detection" and "smart lock", which essentially uses the accelerometer on the smartphone and judges whether the phone is in use or rested on a surface.
If the phone is unlocked and in your hand or in your pocket, the device will keep itself unlocked. But if you rest it on the table or any other flat surface, the phone will automatically lock itself. The device cannot accurately judge who is using the phone, so even if you hand over the phone to a friend nearby, it will follow the same protocol. This can be a security concern, especially if the device is stolen.
The feature was reportedly seen on a Nexus 4 running Android 5.0.1 and I've also managed to spot it on my Android 5.1 running Nexus 6. But it's unclear at this point if this feature is limited to Android 5.0+ devices. When made available, this can be accessed from Settings - Security - Smart Lock, so make sure you check it out if you own an Android 5.0 device.
It is possible that Google will gradually roll out this feature to all Lollipop devices, but at the moment, it's still limited to a handful of Nexus smartphones.
This new feature that we've come across are known as "on-body detection" and "smart lock", which essentially uses the accelerometer on the smartphone and judges whether the phone is in use or rested on a surface.
If the phone is unlocked and in your hand or in your pocket, the device will keep itself unlocked. But if you rest it on the table or any other flat surface, the phone will automatically lock itself. The device cannot accurately judge who is using the phone, so even if you hand over the phone to a friend nearby, it will follow the same protocol. This can be a security concern, especially if the device is stolen.
The feature was reportedly seen on a Nexus 4 running Android 5.0.1 and I've also managed to spot it on my Android 5.1 running Nexus 6. But it's unclear at this point if this feature is limited to Android 5.0+ devices. When made available, this can be accessed from Settings - Security - Smart Lock, so make sure you check it out if you own an Android 5.0 device.
It is possible that Google will gradually roll out this feature to all Lollipop devices, but at the moment, it's still limited to a handful of Nexus smartphones.
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