Easy Unlock is a new feat that allows your phone to unlock your devices

Apr 18, 2014 06:03 GMT  ·  By

We have all been there at some point. In an attempt to keep our multiple account safe, we usually have to juggle with more than one password. And the more complicated it is, the safer your information is kept.

But what happens when you can’t remember your password? You’re hit by waves of frustration, of course, especially if really needed access at that very moment.

Anyway, the Chromebooks of the future might spare you the grief of having to remember a complicated stream of numbers and letters.

According to some hints in Chrome OS' developer preview channel spotted by Android Police, we might soon be able to unlock our Chromebooks by virtue of having an Android device in the near vicinity.

Thus, Chrome-enhanced laptops might as well be the first devices to offer this feature naively. Sure, the feature is in its early stages of developments, but a few references have been detected in the latest Chrome OS build.

The feature goes by the name “Easy Unlock” and comes with a graphic-based, user-friendly step-by-step explainer that will allow users of the future to setup and get things running.

In the Chrome OS dev channel, the feature has been disabled by default, but those curious can go ahead and enable it by going to chrome://flags/#enable-easy-unlock.

After which, you’ll have to reboot the machine and you should spot a notification asking you if you’d like to enable Easy Unlock. Sadly, that is where it all ends, for now.

Future Chromebooks might be unlocked with our smartphones
Future Chromebooks might be unlocked with our smartphones
After you click on the Setup button, you’re transported to a screen composed of three pages, which appears to be searching for your device. However, the search will come up empty handed and scrolling to the next page won’t accomplish much, either.

Google has expressed interest in finding ways to get rid of the traditional password and replacing it with a physical counterpart, instead. For example, back in January, the tech giant was talking about the possibility of a cryptographic card that works in concert with a computer’s USB port, letting the device know you are really you.

Google wants to eliminate the need for passwords
Google wants to eliminate the need for passwords
Nevertheless, it would be easier to use a smartphone, given that everybody these days has one. Imagine being able to unlock your Chromebook without actually taking the handset out of your pocket. It does sound quite appealing.

Anyway, the Easy Unlock feat sounds reminiscent of the Knock app for Mac OS X, which is capable of “sensing” when your iPad is around and can unlock your Mac. r />

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