Google adds “On-Body detection” feature to Android

Google has started rolling out a new feature to some Android users that will make it the unlocking of a smartphone very easy. The company is adding “On-Body detection” to Smart Lock.

The On-Body detection feature make it sure that your smartphone remains unlocked when you are holding your device or carrying it with you. It uses your device’s accelerometer to detect whether your device is still being carried on the body. “If your device detects that it’s no longer being held, your device won’t stay unlocked,” reads Google’s note. When you place it on a table or some other surface, it locks your phone again.

The screenshots are apparently from a Nexus 4 running Android 5.0.1 and Google Play Services 7.0.97. The owner says that the feature appeared after performing a factory reset on the device. The device will remain locked when you pick it back up. And if you pass an unlocked phone over to another person it remains unlocked.

On-body detection appears to be gradually rolling out now to users running Android 5.0 or newer with the latest version of the Play Services app.