Regularly locking your phones screen can be an annoyance.

Fortunately, theres a better way: Its called Smart Lock for Android.

I use a Nexus 6P as my daily driver, which has a fingerprint sensor on the back.

Between the two, I almost never have to unlock my phone the normal way.

Once Im away from my phone, however, my phone will lock down immediately.

When I temporarily lost my phone at an airport, this came in handy.

As I came to claim it, they asked me to unlock it.

Androids Smart Lock proved to be the the perfect balance between security and convenience.

Heres why you should use it too.

What Is Smart Lock for Android?

Smart Lock for Androidis actually a subset of Googles broaderSmart Lock programdesigned to simplify security for users.

Put simply,Smart Lock isa password manager for people who are too lazy to use password managers.

Smart Lock for Android works on a similar principle.

So Smart Lock lets you set up trusted situations that bypass the lock screen altogether.

If youre making a PIN you dont plan to use often, longer is probably better.

Pattern:The pattern lock is unique to Android.

Depending on how much you rely on Smart Lock, this might be a good option for some.

Keep in mind when choosing a lock screen that youll still occasionally need to unlock it manually.

After a reboot, for example, Smart Lock wont kick until you unlock the phone once normally.

There may also be gaps where your trusted Smart Lock scenarios dont overlap with each other.

you’re free to find these options under Security in your phones controls app.

Whilenone of these are perfectly secure,some options that Google provides are less secure than others.

you might also use a trusted NFC tag.

Just be careful not to add too many devices and double-check you always know where your trusted gadget is.

If you have the option to get a phone with a fingerprint unlock, we highly recommend it.

Most of the other options are neat gimmicks, but we dont recommend them from a security standpoint.

While neither of these is necessarilylikely,theyre also too easy to really be very secure.