With Smart Lock on the Galaxy Note 8, you can bypass the fingerprint scanner in most cases. This feature recognizes trusted environments so that the phone can unlock itself. You won’t need a fingerprint, face scan or PIN to use your phone. This works at home, connected to your car stereo, and there’s even an option to set it to trust your sound.
Smart Lock makes the Galaxy Note 8 unlock itself most of the time. You will occasionally need to use a PIN, fingerprint scanner or Iris eye scanner.
If you are bored trying to scan your eyes or reach the fingerprint scanner, we recommend using Smart Lock. Below, we cover what you need to know and how to use this feature today.
How to Use Smart Lock on Galaxy Note 8
Find Smart Lock to get started. Lock screen and security menu in Settings. This feature gives you several options for fast device access: Body detection, Trusted places, Trusted devices, and Trusted voice.
You will see four different modes to choose from, choose the one that works best for you. I use trusted devices and Bluetooth so I don’t have to unlock the Note 8 when I connect it to my car stereo or when it’s near a smartwatch. The software detects that I am near a trusted device and temporarily bypasses the lock screen method. Smart Lock works with any NFC or Bluetooth device.
Now the Galaxy Note 8 will stay unlocked when connected and near that device. Smart Lock turns off if you disconnect the stereo or leave a trusted location. Then your PIN or fingerprint lock screen method will be back in place. If lost or stolen and disconnected, it instantly locks itself.
This makes the Galaxy Note 8 easy to use every day and only requires a fingerprint scanner when really needed.
more details
Another option is “Body detection”. This will unlock the Galaxy Note 8 as long as it is in motion, such as while holding and walking. When the phone stops moving or you turn it off, it locks and asks for your PIN or fingerprint. To enable this feature, tap Detect on you and toggle the switch to on.
Set your home as a safe place and unlock it only once when you are at home. You will not need to unlock the screen as long as you stay at home. You will need to use a security method after leaving this trusted area. This uses GPS, WiFi and Google Maps for an accurate location reading. Some may want to skip the home feature if they have kids, but this is extremely helpful.
Finally, you can set a reliable sound to unlock Note 8 fast. To try this, enable “Trusted voice” in the Smart Lock menu, then follow the prompts to train your voice to recognize your own voice. Now just say “Ok Google” and the phone will be unlocked instantly. See, no fingerprint scanner or Iris scanning required.
Is Smart Lock Worth It?
So, is it worth using a smart lock? Exactly. It’s super easy to set up, works great and reduces how often you have to use the fingerprint scanner or alternative lock screen methods. Since the fingerprint scanner is so hard to reach, this is almost a must-use feature.
When turning it off, Trusted Places can consume battery life as it uses GPS. Then, On You detection may not lock the device immediately, as in the case of theft, because it takes a few seconds to register and snap into place. This is a very useful feature, but it’s not perfect. Keep this in mind.
While you’re here, consider getting a Galaxy Note 8 screen protector from our roundup below.
