Getting Smart Lock to Work Again

Google Smart Lock (likewise known as Android Smart Lock) was introduced in Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system and it caters to the consequence of users having to constantly unlock their phones. The Smart Lock enables you to prepare scenarios and situations where your telephone volition automatically unlock itself for long periods of fourth dimension. Think of it like this; while you're at home, your device volition stay unlocked but while y'all are at work, you will have to unlock itself.

Google Smart Lock

Despite its usefulness and being a point of focus by Google, we came beyond several scenarios where the smart lock didn't work. Below are variations of the effect which your Google Smart Lock might feel:

• The smart lock might not unlock your device even if you are in a trusted location (such equally your dwelling house).
• Information technology doesn't unlock even if a trusted device is connected to your phone.
• The smart lock settings are totally bare with no option whatsoever.
• Y'all are not able to use other smart lock features for unlocking including confront recognition etc.

In improver to the higher up causes, there were also several other variations which are not listed here. You can follow the solutions listed below as they will cater for all the variations of the Smart Lock not working on your Android device.

What causes Google Smart Lock non to Piece of work?

We received plenty of reports past users regarding the feature not working. We compiled all the possible causes as to why this issue was occurring and after experimenting on our own devices, we gathered all the potential causes. Some of the causes equally to why Smart Lock isn't working on your device are but not limited to:

• Compass not calibrated: As you all might know, Android makes use of your in-built compass to select and remember location. If your compass is not calibrated or there is an issue with its hardware, Android will not be able to determine whether information technology is in a trusted location.
• Location accuracy: If your location accuracy is gear up low, there might exist instances where Google fails to make up one's mind your verbal location and doesn't unlock your device as expected. Setting the location accuracy as loftier solves the upshot.
• Bug in Android 8: Another issue which several users faced was a 'blank' Smart Lock screen when opened. This was a known bug in Android version 8.0 and can be easily solved if the version is updated to the latest build.
• Location not set up correctly: If your location is not set correctly (for case, the location is set to your main road instead of your business firm), the smart lock will non unlock itself.
• Work email is associated: When you are registered in your device with your work email, your piece of work policy volition override all the lock settings in your device which includes the Smart Lock. In this example, you have to remove the work e-mail and log in using your usual Google email.
• Multiple devices using Google Account: If y'all have multiple devices using a unmarried Google business relationship, there might exist instances where Google gets confused and doesn't unlock any device properly.
• Play services are battery optimized: The modules responsible for managing Google's smart lock are Play Services nowadays in Android. Recently, Google has added a feature where applications get 'battery optimized' which 'sleeps' the applications when not in use. We came beyond instances where Play Services were optimized and hence were not working when the user wanted to employ Smart Lock.
• Tertiary-political party applications: At that place are likewise several cases where 3rd-party applications conflict with the Smart Lock and acquired it not to work. Here, yous have to boot your estimator in safety mode and then diagnose which i was causing the problem.
• Bad cache partition: There tin too exist instances where the cache partition in your phone gets decadent or accumulated past bad data. We can try wiping information technology in safe fashion and encounter if this does the flim-flam.

Before we move on with the solutions, make sure that you lot have full access to your Android device (including the Google e-mail and countersign). Relieve your work earlier proceeding.

Solution i: Turning on High Location Accurateness

Earlier we offset with other technical workarounds, we volition first start with the basic troubleshooting techniques. The first one is ensuring that yous have a high location accurateness set on your smartphone. There are several different location accurateness options nowadays as listed beneath:

• Phone only: Using GPS
• Battery saving: Wi-Fi and Mobile Networks
• High Accuracy: Wi-Fi, Mobile Networks, and GPS

As you can meet, High Accuracy is the most precise location utility which allows users to utilize pinpointed location. If you don't have loftier accurateness, Android might not be able to determine whether you are at the correct location and hence won't unlock your device. In this solution, we will navigate to your settings and plow on the High location accuracy.

1. Open your device's Settings and then navigate to Connections.
2. Now curlicue downwards and click on Location.

   

   Selecting Location – Android Settings

3. Here, you should have an option of Locating Method. Click information technology once.

   

   Location Method – Android Settings

4. Hither, all the options of the Location will be present. Make certain that you select High Accuracy.

   

   Selecting High Accuracy Location – Android

5. Save changes and exit. Restart your device and check if Smart Lock is working as expected.

Note: In order for optimal smart lock experience, make sure that your location is always turned on. It might not piece of work if you keep it off or turn information technology on only occasionally.

Solution 2: Calibrating Compass

Another thing to try if you are not able to use Smart Lock at your saved location is calibrating the compass on your device. All mobile devices use the compass utility to assist the phone decide which way it is facing and where it is. The more calibrated your compass is, the more accuracy you will achieve in Maps. The more accuracy you achieve on Maps, the more chances there are that you will non have whatever issues with Smart Lock.

Calibrating Android Compass

Since Android doesn't have a compass calibration awarding or option, y'all volition have to exercise it manually. Hither, you have open up Google Maps application on your device and and then create an 8 rotation equally washed in the Gif to a higher place. Make sure that you repeat the actions several times before yous try using Smart Lock over again.

Solution 3: Re-enabling Smart Lock from Trusted Agents

Numerous users reported (particularly users in Android eight.0) that they were unable to see the options of Smart Lock in their Android devices. This was a very mutual issue which arose in late 2022 and is nowadays in Android devices to this date. The explanation backside this behavior is that there is nothing wrong with the modules; in that location is merely a bug which can easily be solved by resetting the trusted agents from your device.

A trusted agent is a service which notifies the arrangement whether the surround in which the device currently is can be trusted or not. The parameter of 'trusted' is only known to the agent and it determines it using its ain checks. Hither, we will reset the smart lock from trusted agents and see if this does the trick for us.

1. Open your Settings and navigate to Lock screen and security > Other Security Settings.

   

   Other Security Settings – Android

2. Now curlicue downwardly until you find the entry of Trust Agents. Click it.

   

   Trust Agents – Other Security Settings

3. Here yous will see Smart Lock (Google) and it will near probably be checked.
4. Uncheck the option and restart your device completely. After restarting, navigate back to these settings and check the option again.

   

   Smart Lock – Trusted Agents

5. Now you can try setting up smart lock again and run across if this fixed the effect at hand.

Note: The steps demonstrated hither are of Samsung devices. If yous have some other device, you can make alterations to the steps.

Solution four: Updating Android to the Latest Build

Google Engineers noticed this particular issue of Smart Lock not working as expected in smartphones. They released an update which targeted this situation specifically. Google updates contain more only fixes; they also contain new features and improvements to existing architectures. Here in this solution, we volition navigate to your Settings and check if there are any updates pending.

1. Click on the Settings application and navigate to Software update.
2. Fifty-fifty if y'all accept Download updates automatically checked, you need to click on Download updates manually.

   

   Downloading updates Manually – Android Settings

3. Now, the Android organisation will automatically start searching if there are any updates bachelor. If there are any, you will be asked to download and install them accordingly.
4. Install the updates and then cheque if Smart Lock is working properly.

Solution 5: Using Coordinates for Trusted Places

Some other workaround in making Smart Switch work is using coordinates instead of location as y'all would conventionally. This isn't an option nowadays in your Android organisation; a young man techie discovered that if you lot disable the GPS on your settings and then go to trusted places to add a location, the Android organization volition prompt for permission. When you grant it, the location volition exist used in the form of coordinates. You can ready the location from in that location and and so check if Smart Switch is working or not.

1. Navigate to the location settings as we did in Solution 1. Set the location to Battery Saver.
2. Now navigate to Lock screen and security > Smart Lock. At present click on Trusted Places.

   

   Trusted Places – Smart Lock

3. Hither, you might be asked for permission for GPS. If prompted, click on Yes.
4. At present select your location using the pin which is provided. Notation that instead of full addresses, you volition be presented with coordinates when selecting the location. Relieve the location and exit. Now check if Smart Lock is working every bit expected.

Solution half dozen: Checking if Google Account is used in more devices

If all the to a higher place methods fail and yous are still unable to use Google Smart Lock, yous should cheque whether your Google Business relationship is being used in multiple devices. This should not affect the operating of Smart Lock but information technology seems it does. Here in this solution, we will navigate to your Google Business relationship settings in the website and then check if there are other devices which are synced to your Google Account. Here, y'all should brand sure that merely one device (the one which you lot are using) is synced fully with Google and remove all other devices.

1. Navigate to Google and click on your profile picture present at the peak-correct side of the screen. Afterward clicking, select the selection of Google Account.

Google Account – Google Settings

2. Once you are in your account settings, navigate to Security and then see Your devices. All the devices volition exist listed here which are associated with your Google Account.

Google Business relationship – Google Settings

3. Skip computers and chrome books etc. Only check for smartphones. If there are more 1 smartphones registered against your Google Account, consider logging out of it.
4. Later on you are completely certain that only i smartphone is registered against your account, endeavour using Smart Lock and check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 7: Removing Piece of work Electronic mail

Another common culprit for Smart Lock not working is you having your device registered with a piece of work email. When you are registered with your work electronic mail, all the lock screen settings which you set manually are overridden with your piece of work policy. The work policy is the same for all users having their smartphone registered with a piece of work email accost.

Here, we volition advise you to bank check whether you have a work email address used in your smartphone. If you do, consider removing it and and so checking whether your smartphone works every bit expected. Below is the method on how to check which email is registered with your smartphone.

1. Open your phone'due south Settings and so click on Cloud and Accounts.
2. Now, select Accounts. Here all the accounts which are used in your smartphone volition be listed.

   

   Accounts – Cloud and Accounts Settings

3. Bank check the Google Account and meet which one it is registered to. If it is your work email, brand sure that you lot remove it completely and then try using Smart Switch.

Solution 8: Setting Multiple Locations

If you lot however unable to use Smart Switch as required and your telephone notwithstanding doesn't unlock itself when you reach dwelling house or some safe space, you can use a 'workaround' in which you set multiple location tags at a unmarried location. For instance, if you lot are in your abode, you can set the location tags at different ends (one at the porch, one at the lawn, etc.). This will remove the issue of your smartphone not detecting the verbal location where it is supposed to unlock.

Setting Multiple Locations

However, practise annotation that this will comprise the security only a little chip. You can make sure that you remedy this by not taking the circumvolve (of the location) too outside your trusted place. After you have prepare multiple pins, restart your device, ensure that you accept a expert internet connectedness and check whether smart switch works or not.

Solution 9: Checking Play Services

The primary service responsible for managing the Smart Switch in your Android Device is Google Play Service. Unremarkably, naught goes wrong with these services but there are instances where your smartphone might place the service in the 'battery optimization' listing. When a service is in this list, it doesn't piece of work completely equally Android keeps placing it to sleep. In this solution, nosotros will navigate to the battery optimization settings and make certain this service isn't present.

1. Open up Settings in your smartphone and navigate to Device maintenance (or some other option leading to battery options in your specific smartphone).
2. Now click on Battery. Here, usually, there is a list of applications which you tin limit to salve power. Scroll down below until you locate Unmonitored apps.

   

   Calculation Unmonitored Application

3. Once inside unmonitored apps, click on the Add apps Now add Google Play Service and save changes.
4. Now cheque if the vocalization functionality works equally expected.

Solution x: Checking in Rubber Mode

If all the to a higher place methods don't work out, at that place is a risk that you have a problematic application which isn't allowing Smart Lock to work as expected. There are several third-party applications which exhibit this behavior and are known to be problematic. Instead of disabling each application one by one, you lot tin attempt booting your smartphone in safe way and see if the smart lock works or non. If it does, it means at that place was an application causing the problem.

Each smartphone has its own fashion of booting in safe mode. You lot need to navigate to your manufacturer's website and then follow the instructions there. Once you lot kicking in prophylactic mode, you tin can cheque smart lock whether information technology works or not. Make sure that y'all enable your GPS manually every bit in several cases it is disabled in safe mode. If it works, boot back in normal fashion and start disabling each application one by ane until you find the culprit.

Kevin is a dynamic and self-motivated information technology professional, with a Thorough noesis of all facets pertaining to network infrastructure blueprint, implementation and assistants. Superior record of delivering simultaneous big-calibration mission critical projects on time and nether budget.

willisarsencon.blogspot.com

Source: https://appuals.com/how-to-fix-smart-lock-not-working/

Share this post