I really like Google's Pixel Watch and Pixel phone series. These devices are the best way to experience Android on a smartwatch or smartphone, and Google is constantly making things better. One particularly useful feature that Pixel Watch users can take advantage of is the Watch Unlock feature that Google is launching in late 2023.
It's a fairly hidden feature that Google doesn't really actively promote, and unlike the Apple Watch, which defaults to unlocking the watch, you have to manually activate the feature on the Pixel Watch.
How watch unlocking works
Watch Unlock is a very convenient feature that allows your smartwatch to effectively bypass other lock screen security features. This is useful when you need to access your phone but don't want to go through the hassle of dealing with face unlock or entering a passcode or fingerprint. In other words, you can keep your phone safe if it's stolen or lost, but you don't have to go through the same hassle when it's just you at the office or home, as long as your watch is nearby.
When enabled, Watch Unlock lets you hold your watch close to your phone, which will then unlock it, and depending on some other settings you choose (more on that later), you'll get instant access to the screen you last used, or the one you Swipe up to access your device without entering an unlock code.
How to use watch unlock on Pixel Watch
Now that you know a little more about Watch Unlock, let's talk about how to actually use it. The first thing you need is a Pixel Watch or Pixel Watch 2 and a Pixel phone like the Pixel 8 Pro running Android 13 or higher. Unfortunately, Watch Unlock on the Pixel Watch doesn't seem to work with any other Android devices, so if you don't have a full set of watches, you won't be able to use this handy little feature.
It should also be noted that Watch Unlock on the Pixel Watch doesn't offer exactly the same functionality as it does on the Apple Watch, which is where I've had the most experience with this feature. On the Apple Watch, you can use Watch Unlock to unlock your phone and other Apple devices, but you can also use it to unlock your phone. The Pixel doesn't offer the same feature, but maybe Google will add it in the future because it's really nice to not always have to enter codes on a small screen like on a smartwatch.
If you have the required device (Pixel Watch and Pixel phone), then you can take advantage of Watch Unlock by activating it by following these steps:
First, navigate to the Google Pixel Watch app on your Pixel phone. Click Watch Preferences > Security > Watch Unlock and turn it on.
You can also turn on the feature in Android Settings by navigating to Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Unlock > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Watch Unlock . Either method will send you a set of on-screen instructions and finally activate watch unlock.
Now that watch unlock is activated, you can use it in a few different ways. As I mentioned before, the speed of accessing your phone after unlocking it with your watch depends on some specific settings. If you turn on Skip lock screen in your phone settings, you can go directly to the last screen you were on by placing your Pixel Watch on your wrist, unlocking it, and holding it close to your phone. If you don't have Skip Lock Screen turned on, it will unlock your phone but still display the lock screen, requiring you to swipe up to access the rest of the device.
