Users are still waiting for Wear OS to unlock Chromebooks and Android devices. Watch Unlock was shown off earlier this year, and ongoing development reveals that Smart Lock will remain as “Extend Unlock.”
Watch Unlock will function when a Wear OS device is near a Chromebook, an Android phone, or a tablet that has been paired with it. The wearable must be unlocked, and the ability to quickly Lock again will be displayed on the watch. Your phone will also say it was Unlocked by Watch.
This was demonstrated between the Pixel Watch and phone at Google’s CES 2023 booth, and the company informed us earlier this month that it is still in the works:
Enabling these experiences that help your devices work better together across different brands is a huge challenge we’re solving for. There’s a lot of work to get done, and we are taking the time to ensure that we deliver a high bar of quality with these experiences.
The “Adding watch to Watch Unlock” project in Google Play Services version 23.03.13 is still being worked on. The tablet or phone that is paired with it must run Android 13 and the setup process begins in Settings > Security & privacy > More security settings.
- You will simply select your paired wearable from a list under Watch Unlock (more on that below):
- When your face or fingerprint isn’t recognized, so use your watch to unlock this phone. This can be helpful when wearing a mask or having wet fingers
- The watch needs to be on your wrist, unlocked, and close to this phone. While your watch is on your wrist, you won’t have to worry about locking it again.
- You will be notified on your watch when this phone is unlocked. Tap the notification to lock the phone once more. In Settings, you can unplug your watch from Watch Unlock at any time.
Watch Unlock is framed by strings as an “upgrade” to Smart Lock (Trusted devices):
<string name=”extend_unlock_removal_prompt_dialog_title”>Upgrade to Watch Unlock?</string>
“Extend Unlock (previously Smart Lock)” will be disabled when you enable it. But you can “add your watch back to Extend Unlock at any time in Settings.”
While we are unsure whether the remaining two features On-body detection and Trusted places—will remain available, Smart Lock will be rebranded as “Extend Unlock” and remain available.
<string name=”extend_unlock_removal_prompt_dialog_message”>” You’ll be able to unlock this phone with %1$s.\n\nYour watch will no longer keep this phone unlocked with Extend Unlock (previously Smart Lock).\n\nYou can add your watch back to Extend Unlock at any time in Settings.”</string>
<string name=”removing_watch_from_extend_unlock_progress_title”>Removing watch from Extend Unlock\u2026</string>
Interestingly, Smart Lock has remained in business after all these years. The company still offers the old option despite Watch Unlock.