Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is testing new functionality as part of the Pixel Watch Unlock feature, which allows you to unlock your Pixel phone using the Watch.
- The upgrade could enable you to not only unlock your Pixel phone using a Pixel Watch but also launch a specific section of the app.
- The feature is intended to work with a set of specific “Authorized” apps that you will be able to manage from the phone’s Settings.
The Watch Unlock feature offers a convenient approach to automatically unlocking a Google Pixel phone — and keeping it unlocked — when your Pixel Watch is nearby. When enabled, it allows you to unlock the phone by simply swiping up or tapping a notification on the lock screen. Now, Google is testing new ways to unlock the screen and launching specific actions within certain apps on the phone.
We’ve learned that Google is experimenting with a new aspect for Watch Unlock, called “Authorized Apps”. This functionality primarily caters to the “Open on phone” feature on many apps, such as Google Messages or WhatsApp.