Android Lollipop Trusted Device + NFC Ring = perfect
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I thought NFC Unlock was introduced in Android L = V5? I didn't know it was there in 4.4?
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Haha! I'm an idiot. Ok, so it goes like this - Someone refers to "latest sony update" near me as being Lollipop.
This then means that I now associate feckin 4.4.4 with that version name.Queue massive irritation and confusion due to discrepancies between the two.
This all just goes to show that when you tell me something for the first time, you'd better get it right. Otherwise I'm stuck.
(Mission accomplished, blame shifted elsewhere.)Rock on, dudes.
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Alright then @johnyma22 , you asked for it ...
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That functionality is quite nice but I'd love to see the swipe requirement be optional! It's a huge step forward for us though.
From having no NFC Unlock in mid 2013 to having it in core by late 2014 is still pretty good progress and something we can all be proud of!
Cheers for the vidya @shama :)
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@johnyma22 Yeah I've been struggling with what to call that first screen when talking with friends about it ... it's not really an unlock screen because that's what comes after you swipe up.
I guess it's more of a notification screen because (unseen here because I'm tidy with my notifications!) that screen will have your notifications displaying when you turn the phone on.
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I want to try this out on my Nexus 4 (although I'm slightly paranoid and I'd still like to try it out and see if I can keep the 2FA - just more integrated as part of core Android), but I seem to have an issue.
To enable NFC rings as trusted devices, you have to have "smart unlock". That's supposed to be in the Security settings, but I can't find it. I've just upgraded to Lollipop today, I've also installed a Play Framework update, and I've even rebooted my phone an extra time just to make sure, but my settings just go:
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Power button instantly locks
Owner infoEncryption
Encrypt phone
⋮From the screenshots I've seen, I should have a "Smart Unlock" item in the middle of there. Did you have the Smart Unlock option from the start? Am I missing something?
Thanks.
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@IBBoard_ Yeah that's where the option is - right below 'owner info'. Have you enabled a screen-lock option though? I don't think you'll have smart lock if you haven't set up a locking mechanism.
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@IBBoard_
shama is right, mine is shaded out until I set up a Pin..than it becomes active...but I've never used it.
I'm also not sure if it comes with the OTA update or not, I flashed the factory image. -
Ugh, I expected to get email notifications and didn't!
I got the OTA update on my Nexus 4, and I've got a pin lock in addition to the NFC ring (I'm in this for the security ;) ), but I don't even have a shaded "Smart Unlock" entry in the Settings.
I've just tried swapping to Password and back to PIN (in case it hadn't realised it is in the appropriate mode) but it hasn't changed anything. The phone has been encrypted for months as well, so I can't disable everything.
Anyone got any other ideas?
Thanks.
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For me, the process was:
- set a pin
- go to trust agents
- enable smart lock
- disable NFC Unlock (as this locked out the Smart Lock options on my phone)
- add my ring as a trusted NFC device
Something like that, at least. My ring is pretty finicky at unlocking the phone in this way - I have to make sure the ring is scanned before I swipe, but it either doesn't play the NFC read sound, or only reads 1 out of 10 times successfully. In any case, if the ring is read when I swipe, it bypasses the number lock.
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Tried the trusted device on the Samsung S6. For this particular phone, it unlocks immediately after detecting the NFC ring (without swiping).
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For me the swipe, and presumably the onscreen lock/unlock icon on my otherwise pattern lock screen. sometimes plays the read nfc sound an sometimes will also unlock - sometimes not.
That's on a note3, which has the swiper (and signature) setting marked as disabled by administrator/encryption policy/credential storage. If I instead enable the nfc unlock app I get a slightly (much) better detection, having first unlocked by swipe to then really unlock by ring.
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@SwordFire said:
Tried the trusted device on the Samsung S6. For this particular phone, it unlocks immediately after detecting the NFC ring (without swiping).
This is now happening on my Nexus 6 It must be one of the recent updates. but good to know this is now a stock android feature :)
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Nice. Wish they'd allow that through on a few more devices though.
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Great news!
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@Lokki said:
Nice. Wish they'd allow that through on a few more devices though.
That's actually your phone manufacturer that holds the features back for a while until they have tested it with their other apps/device launchers etc.
The feature has also made it to my old Nexus 7 tablet so I'm pretty sure Google is not withholding.
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@jasok2 yeah. It's also the telco holding things back. It's just another reason I prefer to use an iPhone for my day-to-day device. You can always have the updates, the apps in the appstore are all usable on your device and there's no weird, artificial staggering of update releases. I hate those things about Android as much as I hate that Apple won't open up their NFC unit for developers.
Apple opening up NFC is sadly more likely to happen than Android update/compatibility sanity. -
@Lokki Have you considered a nexus phone, you get all the updates immediately as well as NFC being open. seems to me like everything your after !
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@jasok2, yeah I've had a secondhand one on and off for a while and it's not yet graduated beyond 'spare phone'. Trouble is, the telco I'm with doesn't tend to offer the new Nexus phones w/plan. I won't take something less than I already have so it's difficult.
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@Lokki Yeah I did buy my last two phones outright. whilst I could get something new on a plan, i have a very old plan thats really good, and if I "upgrade" to the new plan, it will cost me more over time.
