I changed one lock screen habit on Android — and it reshaped how I use my phone

I still have the ancient Nokia Lumia 525 and a couple of its Android competitors in my closet collecting dust.

I'm not a phone hoarder, but I still keep them with me because each one carries a special memory in my life.

Those are memories from another time. While they stay with me, I have a more practical reason for actively using three smartphones almost daily.

All three phones are from different brands, and that is the point.

I especially love how my Motorola Edge 50 Neo and Samsung Galaxy S21 look different and do many things differently despite both being Android phones.

This is just a small example of the level of diversity Android offers.

On the flip side, there are plenty of features on Google's mobile OS that are common across all Android phones.

I recently discovered one such feature on my Android phone's lock screen settings and started using it immediately.

I'm glad I did because it reshaped how I use my phone — for the better. Here is how.

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By  Rajesh Pandey

The Android lock screen setting that makes me feel less guilty about convenience

I have used security PINs or fingerprints in all my years to unlock phones. I still rely on them, but not the same way I once did after I started using the Extend Unlock feature.

Its name gives a huge hint at what it does: to extend how long your phone stays unlocked.

That's only a surface-level explanation of its functionality, ignoring how good it is at striking a perfect balance between security and convenience.

I've never been this carefree about my phone staying unlocked for a long period of time, thanks to the Extend Unlock feature.

Android's Extend Unlock capability makes your phone stay unlocked in situations you decide.

In real-life scenarios, that means you can select places where you will not need to enter the passcode or use your fingerprint to unlock your phone. A simple swipe-up gesture on the lock screen will take you to the home screen.

You can also add devices you trust, just like I added my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. I use this trick to make sure my phone stays unlocked when the watch is connected or is near my phone.

Another solid option in the Extend Unlock setting is on-body detection. Although I don't use it, if enabled, it makes your phone stay unlocked when in motion.

For example, when you are walking and need to pull the phone out of your pocket every few minutes, the on-body detection comes in handy.

I don't use all three modes, nor did I add multiple locations as trusted.

The place where I am most comfortable with my staying unlocked is my home, and that's what I've added besides the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.

This already covers most of the time I use my phone.

I no longer need to unlock it with my fingerprint at home. It will change to requiring a fingerprint or the passcode again when I step out of my home.

However, my Galaxy Watch 4 Classic won't let it go back to that state because Extend Unlock treats the watch as proof that the phone is still with me.

I don't need to protect my phone and all the personal data from myself. I need to protect it from the wrong hands.

Extend Unlock just knows when the phone is with its rightful owner, the one who needs no authentication.

My tricks to overcome Extend Unlock's biggest weaknesses

Extend Unlock is available on the Lock screen and AOD page in the Settings of One UI. Some Android skins, such as the Hello UI and Pixel UI, have this feature on the Security & privacy page.

It works the same on all devices, regardless of the system UI. That also means it comes with the same set of weaknesses across all Android phones.

While the feature was hard to spot, what was rather easy was to identify the weaknesses of Extend Unlock.

Its biggest downside is the On-body detection, because it can't distinguish between the owner and any other person.

So, if you hand over your phone to someone, or it gets stolen, Extend Unlock will trigger and will make the phone stay unlocked while in motion.

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That's the only reason I set the Use On-body detection toggle to off.

Another thing I always keep in mind is that someone standing next to me can borrow my phone and intentionally or unintentionally access things they're never supposed to.

I met a friend after five years, and he took a selfie on my phone while I was standing next to him. To ensure he doesn't accidentally access the gallery, I turned on the Lockdown mode.

They can access the camera from the lock screen, take photos, but can access only those shots they just took.

If they swipe further to see more photos that you took in the past, they will have to enter the PIN.

I always pair Extend Unlock with Lockdown mode for the best results.

Make Android's lock screen more powerful

The Extend Unlock and the Lockdown mode are both handy lock screen features available on almost all Android skins.

In addition to these two, there are more ways to use Android's lock screen to its full potential.

You can use both system settings as well as third-party apps to take control of the lock screen of your Android phone.

However, none of the lock screen features impacted me as much as Extend Unlock. It changed how I use my Android phones.