So I've just flashed the factory image for lollipop on my Nexus 5 and was initially disappointed that the trusted device functionality didn't seem to be working.

I'd added both sides of my ring and also a credit-card sized tag as trusted NFC tags, hoping they'd bypass the lockscreen. But on turning on, swiping up to reveal the lockscreen, and then tapping a tag I was getting nothing, nada, zilch. I didn't even get the familiar 'bad read' sound. Cue sad face.

A bit of research however revealed how it is supposed to work, and will hopefully save someone that disappointment time. The tag must be touching when you turn the phone on, and when you then swipe up the lockscreen will be non-existent. Happy days.

It may just be me, but it seems to read better too. My ring is on my index finger and it is easy to hold the phone naturally with the ring over my sweet spot, so as soon as I turn the phone on it is just unlocked ... no more waving, sweeping, tapping or trying to activate across a small sweet spot.

Alright then @johnyma22 , you asked for it ...

I also have a Nexus 5, and I've been running a QA failed SB for around a month now as a day-to-day unlock ring: it sits on my finger 24/7 and I expect it to unlock my Nexus 5.

To begin with it was very hit and miss and for maybe 2 weeks half the time I'd give up in frustration and just use the PIN, or swipe on the tag in my slip case. With time though I've learnt:
(a) it is very sensitive to the tag being square on my finger. If the ring has rotated even a couple of mm it makes a read impossible. Fortunately my SB has now had some wear and the underside of the metal has some bare metal where the plating has worn off, so I can tell which tag is 'down' and whether it is in the right position.
(b) my sweet spot is small and can benefit from a slow movement of the ring through the field if I don't get an immediate read.
(b) Rings works best at a 45' angle (i.e. tag not horizontal or vertical to horizontal axis of phone, but at 45'). Fortunately I wear the ring on my left index finger and so it is easy to hold the phone in my left hand with the ring on the exact spot and at that angle without effort.

Now my success rate is probably around 95%, and I don't often need to reach for the emergency tag or use the PIN.

Prefer pictures to words? Watch a video here.
The real-quick getting started guide

Because you don't want to read more than is needed, and just want it to work.

Having trouble registering your app? See the section below.

Very first thing: go and disable your existing lock-screen (Settings > Security > Screen Lock > None) because you're intending to use the NFC Unlock App as your lock-screen.

1. Start the 'NFC Ring Unlock' app
2. Tap 'Device Security' section
3. Tap 'Manage Keys' section
4. Tap the icon in top-right which is a key with a + sign
5. Scan the ring-inlay you want to use as unlock key
6. Give it a name, description, picture or whatever. Make sure 'enable' is on, and 'save'
7. Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 with another NFC tag so that you have a backup! Either use one of the extra inlays if one came with your ring (and keep it in your wallet), another ring inlay (if you have more than one ring) or a different kind of NFC tag if you have one.
8. Go back to 'Device Security'
9. Toggle 'Enable/Disable' in the top bar.
   Note as of time of writing this is not an intuitive UI and if you see the text 'disable' that doesn't mean the security is disabled, it means 'click here to disable'. Likewise 'enable' means 'click here to enable', and doesn't mean security is enabled
10. Check the 'Use with No Lockscreen' option
11. Go back to the homepage of the NFC Ring Unlock app
12. Tap 'Application Security'
13. Tap 'Manage Application Passwords'
14. Enter a pin
15. You're done

Extra Info

• You can't store information on a tag and use it as an unlock tag

• Even though 'Check Security Level' gives a warning about using a pin, setting a pin in the 'Manage Application Passwords' is useful for two very good reasons: (1) you don't have to use your Google account password in an app you may not trust, and (2) Google account authentication can not take place in Airline mode, because it needs to contact Google servers. Without a password you could lock yourself out of your phone if you enter Airline mode

• To remove a key from the 'Manage Keys' section just swipe it off the screen

• Once you have your basic functionality working you can play with the 'Manage Call Behaviour' section to decide how the phone should be locked/unlocked when making or receiving calls

• If you don't set a pin as backup then you will use your Google account login to bypass the unlock screen. If you have 2-Step Verification enabled this can be problematic. You can go to [Google security page] 1 to disable 2-Step verification

• For information on how to use 2-Step Authentication with the NFC Ring Unlock app see [this post by Lokki] 2

Registering the app

• Original backers will have received a registration code for the app by email with a subject line of Your NFC Ring Unlock App Access Code. This contains the verification code you need to enter once you've installed and opened the app for the first time, along with the email address you registered with (also contained in that email)

• If you've lost that email you can [reset your validation code] 3 and get a new code to use

• You can also get an unlock code by using the NFC Ring Control App. Tap the 'Register' option and follow the instructions

@johnyma22
The post here ...
http://blog.nfcring.com/unicorn/with-pride-of-lion-kickstarter-update
... seems to have an over-eager spam catcher in place. I've been able to comment before without problem, but it seems no-one is able to comment on this particular post.

Anyway, the point of the post: you asked for feedback on whether the 8% of backers who are still waiting fulfillment should be able to have a conversation with you guys and possibly change rings (if that is what is causing the delay).

My view is yes, because if some of the backers are like me then they'll be held up by a ring that wasn't one they actually ordered anyway! Two of the three rings I'm waiting for have been auto-swapped because of production problems (a double silver-CF ring and a Stealth Bomber), so if the replacements for them are what is causing the hold up then I'd gladly swap for anything else that is available. I doubt the SB replacement is the problem as that was just a grab-bag anyway, so my suspicion is that the auto-swapped white+white is the problem - especially after your post pointed some blame at white inlays. I wouldn't have chosen double-white (or even single white!) so to be held up by that doesn't make sense.
Also, while we're having a conversation about swapping a ring before fulfillment I might be able to request a size change on at least one of those rings. After having received a QA fail ring I think the sizes I chose in the order will be 0.5 too small ...

Change the 'Device Security' enable/disable toggle back to the standard UI toggle widget, which is clearer. Like this ...

Current text is ambiguous and not obvious it is a piece of UI that should be clicked on.

@Nas said:

I thought it was already decided that replacements would be sent out to those who ordered rings causing delays, in order to get at least some kind of rings to backers. Then vouchers would be made available at a later date to get a ring that is "more to your liking"

No, only for certain production-problem rings. So far the problems have been (a) CF rings get a replacement because CF failed (b) plated rings get a replacement because factory can't polish them (c) one-off or uncommon ring designs may get replaced (e.g. wood + purple inlay) as the factory has been crap at following their order list.

The latest update is more of a catch-all - and to deal with the remaining few percent. Of those few percent there may be just one ring causing the delay (from John's update the white inlay now seems to be the cause of QA fails) and so John was wandering whether people would want to swap out their problem ring for something that is in stock.

So which one is it now? Do I need to get in touch, or do I wait for my dispatch email with one of the replacements?

John asked for comments on the blog post, but people have been commenting on the update post and also in forum posts such as the one here.

Fact remains, its been almost a year since initial shipping date. And yet I have no clue on where my ring is and whats happening.

You'll see in the thread I linked to that someone has proposed a template of how they'd like this conversation to be structured. It seems pretty sensible and would answer things like 'what was my original order', 'what does my order look like now' (because of auto-replacements for CF/plated), 'what is holding up delivery' and 'what can I change to make it happen quicker'.

Remove the picture of a ring from the unlock screen, or make it optional.
I tried to change my unlock wallpaper, to something more cryptic that people wouldn't guess ("Scan retina now") and also has custom message asking 'what's the magic word' to throw people off the scent - but it still sticks a picture of a ring on the wallpaper. Kind of gives the game away about what to do to unlock.
I want people who steal my phone to be holding it up to their eye and talking bollocks to my phone :)

@mrbrown said:

1. the constant updates with bad news basically put me off the whole thing to be honest.
2. which is why I believe I probably missed any email regarding what to do about my changing my ring order again. Glad everyone grouped together to decide for me!

So help me to understand why I ended up with two rings being black/transparent and the other having both sides transparent?

I am NOT ungrateful, I am somewhat happy something has finally arrived, problem is its not what I agreed too, nor did I agree for anyone else to decide for me. So is it possible to get some control on what I want?

I don't mind about the colours not being available due to QA, but can I at least choose from what is available?

If another form was sent out asking this, I apologise for missing that, but I would of rather not received anything... to then have me then contact you complaining to then find I missed another change request because then I could of had the opportunity to change it again.

Yes, basically, when you got put off by the updates you missed a number of emails detailing what was happening with substitutions (because of the high QA fail rates).

You would specifically also have missed a **personal **email asking you directly how you wanted to deal with any rings in your order that were causing the delay. I can only assume if you didn't take that opportunity to engage in dialogue with support then they would just have given you what was readily available. So yes, you could have had control. You could have made the decision yourself rather than have others decide for you. And yes, you could have chosen from what was available. Maybe now you're engaging finally you can go through a returns process, but that isn't for me to say.

Out of all the ring options given at the start of the project, the ones shown on the current NFC Store are really the only ones that made it through the development process. I've got my fingers crossed that some more options appear (like a silver inlay) but time will tell.

@Zombiehug Yes, I believe you can. It is just an NFC tag, so you can write whatever you like to it within the memory limits of the tag.

Just popped by for nostalgia reasons, saw this thread, decided to repost a previous thread on this topic. It even has video of it in action ...

https://forum.nfcring.com/topic/534/android-lollipop-trusted-device-nfc-ring-perfect

@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.

@johnyma22 It's like you're not reading the messages @jasok2 has been posting in this thread, even though you're replying to them.

RE #10921 I personally replied on the 8th of October and you didn't reply, you haven't replied to this ticket since then.. Am I missing something?

His first message says that he emailed back the same day. Then the 30th October. Then the 12th November. So yes, you're missing something, he says he has emailed but obviously you guys haven't received them if they're not in your queue.

As I mentioned in the ticket you really need to get to a jewellers to get your proper ring size.

Twice in this thread he said he took it to a jeweller for sizing, and one of his emails to support was a photo of it being sized in a jewellers!

Sorry to butt in, but I understand the frustration from providing details and then having to restate them when someone comes along and starts responding without actually reading what you've written.

@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.

Alright then @johnyma22 , you asked for it ...

Ok after a bit more time with it I've noticed a small lock icon on the initial power-on screen. So you don't need to have a tag touching when you turn on, but that lock icon should show' unlocked when you swipe up if you want the lockscreen to be bypassed.

I've had a few times now where I've not had the ring in perfect position and had to unlock after swiping up, but I've also noticed that icon change once while holding phone.

So I've just flashed the factory image for lollipop on my Nexus 5 and was initially disappointed that the trusted device functionality didn't seem to be working.

I'd added both sides of my ring and also a credit-card sized tag as trusted NFC tags, hoping they'd bypass the lockscreen. But on turning on, swiping up to reveal the lockscreen, and then tapping a tag I was getting nothing, nada, zilch. I didn't even get the familiar 'bad read' sound. Cue sad face.

A bit of research however revealed how it is supposed to work, and will hopefully save someone that disappointment time. The tag must be touching when you turn the phone on, and when you then swipe up the lockscreen will be non-existent. Happy days.

It may just be me, but it seems to read better too. My ring is on my index finger and it is easy to hold the phone naturally with the ring over my sweet spot, so as soon as I turn the phone on it is just unlocked ... no more waving, sweeping, tapping or trying to activate across a small sweet spot.

@Irene If you become a backer of a project on something like Kickstarter and don't read the updates that are sent out every month then it is very likely you are going to end up with a metric tonne of surprises when the project finally reaches fruition.

If it was like a store, and you just ordered things and they were guaranteed to be delivered as described then that would be a great. But projects on KS are rarely like that and shouldn't be treated like that. You are usually pledging to fund R&D, prototyping, production and all sorts of other activities. At any of those stages problems may turn up that mean the original specification just isn't possible. The updates will detail this process.

I'm not going to answer your specific questions because every single smegging one of them has been covered in at least one update. If you didn't bother reading them I'm not going to bother regurgitating them for you.

As for the alpha, if you have the same "Your NFC ring order is on it's way!" (their typo not mine) email as me then it details exactly what the situation is with the alpha ring and how to go about getting one.

And just in case you think I'm being a bit harsh, my final shipped order also had not a single ring that I ordered. But I did read the updates and engage with support when requested, so it wasn't a surprise. Just a disappointment.

@mrbrown said:

1. the constant updates with bad news basically put me off the whole thing to be honest.
2. which is why I believe I probably missed any email regarding what to do about my changing my ring order again. Glad everyone grouped together to decide for me!

So help me to understand why I ended up with two rings being black/transparent and the other having both sides transparent?

I am NOT ungrateful, I am somewhat happy something has finally arrived, problem is its not what I agreed too, nor did I agree for anyone else to decide for me. So is it possible to get some control on what I want?

I don't mind about the colours not being available due to QA, but can I at least choose from what is available?

If another form was sent out asking this, I apologise for missing that, but I would of rather not received anything... to then have me then contact you complaining to then find I missed another change request because then I could of had the opportunity to change it again.

Yes, basically, when you got put off by the updates you missed a number of emails detailing what was happening with substitutions (because of the high QA fail rates).

You would specifically also have missed a **personal **email asking you directly how you wanted to deal with any rings in your order that were causing the delay. I can only assume if you didn't take that opportunity to engage in dialogue with support then they would just have given you what was readily available. So yes, you could have had control. You could have made the decision yourself rather than have others decide for you. And yes, you could have chosen from what was available. Maybe now you're engaging finally you can go through a returns process, but that isn't for me to say.

Out of all the ring options given at the start of the project, the ones shown on the current NFC Store are really the only ones that made it through the development process. I've got my fingers crossed that some more options appear (like a silver inlay) but time will tell.

Just to add to what @Lokki and @jasok2 have said, tapping rarely works for me. What you need to do is move the ring through the sweet spot. Have a look at Lokki's recent video of a home-made sweet spot detector for a visible demonstration of this difference.

With a larger tag it may look like you are tapping, but in fact you are sweeping in a plane perpendicular with the phone. Being a small antenna in the phone you generally won't have enough of a field to sweep perpendicular so will need to do the parallel sweep.