14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 build 15031 previews an important new feature coming in the Creators Update that would allow users to automatically have their PCs triggering the lock and going to the lock screen when they leave the desk.
Called Dynamic Lock, the new feature was spotted in other Windows 10 builds before, but it’s only now becoming available to users, along with some information about how exactly it’s supposed to work.
Basically, Dynamic Lock can be used with a Bluetooth connection to a mobile phone, so all you have to do is enable the feature, pair the PC with your smartphone, and then, whenever the device is out of range, have your Windows 10 automatically lock.
This feature comes in handy especially in working environments where employees leave the desk several times a day, but it can very well be aimed at home users who no longer want to lock their systems manually.
“Dynamic Lock automatically locks your Windows 10 PC when you’re not around based the proximity of a Bluetooth-paired phone. If your Bluetooth-paired phone is not found near your PC, Windows turns off the screen and locks the PC after 30 seconds,” Microsoft explains.
Still in its early days
In Windows 10 build 15031, the new feature is available in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, but it goes without saying that your PC must have a Bluetooth adapter to be able to pair with your smartphone.
Of course, since this is just the first implementation, several improvements are very likely before the Windows 10 Creators Update launches in April, especially now that Microsoft is no longer working on implementing new features, but improving the existing ones and fixing bugs reported by users.
At the same time, Microsoft could very well look beyond a Bluetooth connection to improve Dynamic Lock, as the company can add Windows Hello support too, using the available infrared cameras to detect whenever the user leaves the desk in order to lock their PC.