Smart Lock changing into ‘Extend Unlock’ as Wear OS Watch Unlock ‘upgrade’ requires Android 13

We’re nonetheless ready for the power to make use of Wear OS to unlock Android units and Chromebooks. Watch Unlock was demoed earlier this 12 months, and ongoing work reveals how Smart Lock will probably be sticking round as “Extend Unlock.”

About APK Perception: On this “APK Insight” submit, we’ve decompiled the newest model of an utility that Google uploaded to the Play Retailer. After we decompile these information (known as APKs, within the case of Android apps), we’re capable of see varied traces of code inside that trace at attainable future options. Needless to say Google could or could not ever ship these options, and our interpretation of what they’re could also be imperfect. We’ll attempt to allow these which can be nearer to being completed, nonetheless, to indicate you the way they’ll look in case that they do ship. With that in thoughts, learn on.

The previous Smart Lock characteristic can “Keep your phone unlocked while it’s on you, at specific places that you trust, or near your connected devices.”

Watch Unlock will work when a Wear OS gadget is introduced close to a paired Android cellphone or pill, in addition to Chromebook. The wearable must be unlocked, and there will probably be an on-watch affirmation that auto-unlock was triggered with the power to shortly “Lock again.” Your cellphone can even word that it was “Unlocked by Watch.”

This was demoed at Google’s CES 2023 sales space between the Pixel Watch and cellphone, with the corporate telling us earlier this month that it’s nonetheless coming:

Enabling these experiences that assist your units work higher collectively throughout totally different manufacturers is a large problem we’re fixing for. There’s a whole lot of work to get accomplished, and we’re taking the time to make it possible for we’re capable of ship a excessive bar of high quality with these experiences.

Model 23.03.13 of Google Play companies continues work on “Adding watch to Watch Unlock.” We’ve discovered that the paired cellphone or pill must run Android 13 and that the setup course of begins from Settings > Safety & privateness > Extra safety settings.

Watch Unlock will seem underneath Smart Lock (extra on that under), and also you’ll merely choose your paired wearable from an inventory:

• Use your watch to unlock this cellphone when your face or fingerprint isn’t acknowledged. This may be useful while you’re sporting a masks or your fingers are moist.
• Your watch have to be unlocked, in your wrist, and near this cellphone. You gained’t must unlock your watch once more whereas it’s in your wrist.
• When this cellphone is unlocked, you’ll get notified in your watch. To lock this cellphone once more, faucet the notification.
• You may take away your watch from Watch Unlock at any time in Settings.

Notably, strings body Watch Unlock as an “upgrade” over Smart Lock (Trusted units):

<string title=”extend_unlock_removal_prompt_dialog_title”>Improve to Watch Unlock?</string>

Enabling it’s going to disable “Extend Unlock (previously Smart Lock),” however you possibly can “add your watch back to Extend Unlock at any time in Settings.”

We be taught that Smart Lock will probably be rebranded to “Extend Unlock” and stick round, although we are able to’t make certain whether or not the opposite two capabilities (On-body detection and Trusted locations) will stay accessible.

<string title=”extend_unlock_removal_prompt_dialog_message”>”You’ll be capable of unlock this cellphone with %1$s.nnYour watch will now not hold this cellphone unlocked with Extend Unlock (beforehand Smart Lock).nnYou can add your watch again to Extend Unlock at any time in Settings.”</string>

<string title=”removing_watch_from_extend_unlock_progress_title”>Eradicating watch from Extend Unlocku2026</string>

It’s fascinating that Smart Lock is staying all these years later. Even with Watch Unlock, the corporate is preserving the previous choice. Finally, it’s too legacy a characteristic for Google to take away with out offering an alternate, and even that’s not sufficient.

Because of JEB Decompiler, from which some APK Perception teardowns profit.

Dylan Roussel contributed to this text.

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