When it comes to unlocking your smartphone, for a long time the PIN or passcode was the only security option. With advances like biometric security in Apple’s Touch ID and later Face ID, the ways to unlock smartphones have been expanding.
Android users have also received new methods to protect their phones and unlock them more conveniently, including the ability to unlock your phone via Bluetooth using your personal Fitbit.
smart lock for android
Android users got quick unlock features when Smart Lock features were introduced in Android Lollipop 5.0 OS. Smart Lock added several new locking and unlocking methods, and also improved the previous facial recognition feature offered in previous versions of the operating system. Android 5.0’s smart lock feature has the ability to use the presence of a trusted Bluetooth device to unlock the phone.
Here’s how to set Android Smart Lock to use a Fitbit (or any trusted Bluetooth device) to unlock your phone. These instructions should apply no matter who made your Android phone: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, or others.
- If you need to set one for the first time, open your Android device’s Settings menu, go to Personal , and select Security . In the Screen Security section, select Screen lock . If a PIN or access code already exists, you will need to enter it here; otherwise, follow the instructions to create a new pattern, password, or PIN to protect your device.
- Enable smart lock. To use the Smart Lock feature with a trusted Bluetooth device, you must first make sure that the Smart Lock feature is turned on. Open the Android device’s Settings menu . In the Personal section, select Security . Navigate to the Advanced menu and select Trusted Agents and make sure the Smart Lock option is enabled in the position . In the Security section of the screen, select Smart lock . Enter the screen lock PIN, password, or pattern you created in step 1 above.
- Set Smart Lock to recognize your Fitbit as a trusted Bluetooth device. To set Smart Lock to trust a Bluetooth device to unlock your device, first make sure that Bluetooth on your Android device is turned on. From the Smart Lock menu, select Trusted Devices . Select Add trusted device , and then choose Bluetooth . Select your Fitbit, or another Bluetooth device you want to use, from the list of connected Bluetooth devices.
The Bluetooth device you want to use must have been paired with your Android device to be available as a Bluetooth Smart Lock-trusted device.
Removing a trusted Bluetooth device in Smart Lock
Select the device from the list of trusted devices in the Smart Lock menu. Select Remove device from list, and then tap OK .
Keep in mind that depending on the range of your phone’s Bluetooth radio, someone nearby may be able to access your phone if the device you’ve paired it with for Smart Unlock is nearby.
Allowing your smartphone to unlock with a Bluetooth device may increase the risk of unauthorized access. For example, if you’re in a meeting in the room next to your office and your phone is left unattended on your desk, someone could access it without a passkey because your paired device (your Fitbit, your watch, or another paired Smart Lock-trusted) is within range so you can unlock your phone.
