Setting up Smart Lock on your Chromebook allows you to sign in or unlock your device with one click. With your Android phone nearby, there’s no need for repeatedly inputting your password. I personally like this feature because I am on the go a lot. Logging in and out of my Chromebook countless times a day, I find Smart Lock is just one more feature of Chrome OS that makes my work flow that much more efficient. This feature is available on any Bluetooth capable Chromebook that has Chrome OS 40 or higher. In addition, your Android phone must be running version 5.0 or later.
Setting up Smart Lock is quick and simple. First, you will need to make sure your devices are up-to-date. For your Chromebook just click the tray in the bottom right corner of the screen, click setting and at the top of the settings menu you will see highlighted in blue, “About Chrome OS“. In the pop-up window, click “Check for and apply updates” and Chrome will do the rest. For most Android phones, software updates can be found in settings>about phone>system updates.
Once you’re all up to date, you’re ready to enable Smart Lock. Just to simplify things, if you have multiple Bluetooth devices around, turn off the ones you won’t be using.
- Sign in to your Chromebook
- Enable Bluetooth on your phone and Chromebook
- Make sure both devices are connected to the internet
- Ensure you are logged into the same Google account on both devices.
- Go to settings in the menu tray of your Chromebook and click “show advanced settings”
- Find ” Smart Lock for Chromebook” and click the Setup button
You will then be logged out to verify ownership of the account. Input your password and continue. Click the “Find your phone” button and wait for the Chromebook to see your device. When you see your phone, click “use this phone”. Your phone should then alert you that Smart Lock has been activated.
Now, once you log out of your Chromebook, you will simply need to click on your account icon to log back in. Make sure your phone’s Bluetooth is enables and it is within 100 feet of your Chromebook. Also, you must have a lock screen enabled on your Android device and the screen must be unlocked in order for Smart Lock to work. To turn Smart Lock off simply return to the advanced settings menu and click the “turn off” button.
And, that’s it. Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to comment below. We look forward to hearing from our readers.
