Android’s Smart Lock provides a convenient solution so you don’t have to unlock your device in several situations, such as when you’re at home or in another trusted location, if the phone is in your pocket, or if it’s connected to your car or a wearable. However, you might need to remotely disable Smart Lock on Android if you left your device unlocked.
If you’ve set up work or another public place as a trusted location that’s fine except when you leave your device unattended. Perhaps your colleagues won’t steal your phone but some of them might be curious enough to peek at the contents of your device.
How to remotely disable Smart Lock on Android
Luckily, you can remotely disable Smart Lock on Android which will, of course, lock your device and keep its contents private from everyone else.
Before anything else, there are some requirements for this to work. You will need a configured Google account on your phone, “Find my device” enabled and your phone must also be connected to the internet via WiFi or mobile data.
Assuming you have all of those things, the first thing you need to do is open Google’s Find My Device page on any other computer or mobile device. Sign into the Google account you’re using on your phone.
After you sign in, Google will locate your device. If you have multiple devices you will need to select the one for which you want to disable Smart Lock.
On the device’s page, select the “Lock” option.
You have the option of entering a custom message to be displayed on your phone’s lock screen although this is not mandatory. Click the Lock button and your device will be locked right away, requiring a PIN, passcode, or pattern to be unlocked (depending on how you’ve set it up).
As you can see, it’s very easy to remotely disable Smart Lock on Android but there are some limitations. If your device is not online, Google won’t be able to detect it and lock it remotely.
Also, if someone stole your device they could have easily disabled WiFi and cellular data making it impossible to use the “Find my device” service. However, if they shut down or restart the phone, Smart Lock will be disabled and they’ll need to enter your PIN, password, or pattern to remove the lock screen.
Even if your phone has been stolen and the thief ensured it stays offline they won’t be able to do much without an internet connection. If they would want to unlink your Google account, wipe the device, or reset passwords they would still need to connect to the internet.
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