Your Galaxy Watch May Soon Lock Your Phone When You Walk Away

Google is reportedly working on a new security feature for Wear OS watches that automatically locks the connected phone when the user walks away. Part of Wear OS 6, the feature should be available for Galaxy Watch users with One UI 8 Watch. It’s still early days, as the new capability is currently hidden within the APK version of the Google Pixel Watch app.

Pixel Watch app strings hint at new security feature to auto-lock phone

Google aims to protect its Android and Wear OS users from scams, theft, and other security threats. The company has already made significant progress in this space, and with the upcoming Android 16 and Wear OS 6, it intends to further enhance security and privacy. Folks over at Android Authority recently discovered a new security feature while digging into the version 3.5.0.758720535 of the Google Pixel Watch app.

The feature in question is the “lock on disconnect” that offers auto smartphone lock ability when the connected smartwatch goes out of range. The string mentions “Phone will lock when it disconnects from your watch, like when it’s far away”. This feature is pretty useful for users who leave their phones unattended or lose them in public places. It will reduce the risk of unauthorized access and keep users’ personal data safe.

So far, Google has only allowed Pixel Watch users to keep their phones unlocked as long as their smartwatch is nearby. It’s convenient as it eliminates the need to enter a PIN or use a fingerprint every time you pick up your phone. And now, this functionality will work in the opposite direction as well — walking away from your phone will automatically lock it.

Credit: @nailsad_eleos/ Telegram

While the publication was not able to spot the feature in the app yet, a Telegram user, nailsad_eleos, managed to discover its presence within the settings menu. It’s not functional at the moment, but this suggests that Google is getting closer to launching this new security feature.

Note that Samsung Galaxy Watch users have not received the Pixel Watch’s auto-unlock phone feature yet. However, we expect Samsung to bring both the auto-lock and auto-unlock features with the upcoming Wear OS 6-based One UI 8 Watch.