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Android Q Beta 4 suggests Google plans to rebrand Smart Lock to ‘Pixel Presence’

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A new change spotted in the latest Android Q public beta suggests Google plans to rebrand Android’s Smart Lock functionality, instead calling the feature “Pixel Presence.”

The potential rebranding was first spotted by Android Police and its readers. After downloading and installing Android Beta 4, a new lock screen notification informs Android Q users that their device is “Kept unlocked by Pixel Presence.”

Smart Lock allows Android users to configure their devices to stay unlocked in certain circumstances. For instance, using Smart Lock, it’s possible to set an Android smartphone to stay unlocked when it’s paired with a Bluetooth device. Similarly, it’s possible to configure Smart Lock to keep a device unlocked at select “trusted” locations, such as one’s home and workplace. Google first added Smart Lock to Android as a part of Lollipop back in 2014.

In its current iteration, the rebranding definitely looks like a work in progress. The change only comes through when a person sets their Android phone to specific device languages such as U.K. English. In U.S. English, for instance, the change doesn’t come through.

Moreover, it’s likely Google will limit this change to Pixel devices. In which case, it’s possible Google may add additional functionality to the feature. For example, Android Police suggests Google, based on code snippets the website found, may add a Face authentication feature to differentiate Pixel Presence from Smart Lock.

Image courtesy of Android Police.

Source: Android Police

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