--- description: Google is introducing a new Android feature called that will allow a phone to remain unlocked as long as a person is carrying it. title: Your Next Phone Could Stay Unlocked As You Carry It image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb7997aa76e524009/698784b9e53abab9cc4d8333/458046608.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Your Next Phone Could Stay Unlocked As You Carry It by [Victor Luckerson](/author/victor-luckerson/) ## Victor Luckerson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 23, 2015 3:06 PM CUT  Google's lead designer for "Inbox by Gmail" Jason Cornwell shows the app's functionalities on a nexus 6 android phone during a media preview in New York on October 29, 2014. Google's lead designer for "Inbox by Gmail" Jason Cornwell shows the app's functionalities on a nexus 6 android phone during a media preview in New York on October 29, 2014.Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images by [Victor Luckerson](/author/victor-luckerson/) ## Victor Luckerson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 23, 2015 3:06 PM CUT Google [wants](http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/21/8270425/android-on-body-detection-security-option-leaked "undefined") to make unlocking your phone less of a hassle. The company is introducing a new Android feature called “on-body protection” that will allow a phone to remain unlocked as long as a person is carrying it in their hands, purse or pocket. The feature makes use of smartphones’ accelerometers to detect when the phone is in motion. When the phone comes to a standstill for a while, like when it’s placed on a desk, the lock screen will reappear. There’s a tradeoff for the added convenience, of course. On-body protection could make it easier for a pickpocket or [phone-snatcher](http://gizmodo.com/5955457/this-is-how-thieves-will-snatch-your-phone-on-the-train "undefined") to gain access to your device after they swipe it. The new option was first spotted on Nexus phones but is expected to roll out to other Android devices soon, according to [_The Verge_](http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/21/8270425/android-on-body-detection-security-option-leaked "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3754198/android-unlocked-phone/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3754198/android-unlocked-phone/"},"headline":"Your Next Phone Could Stay Unlocked As You Carry It","datePublished":"2015-03-23T15:06:08.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:04:43.089Z","description":"Google might bring the feature to more Android phones","url":"https://time.com/3754198/android-unlocked-phone/","keywords":["Tech","Gadgets","Smartphones","Google","Android","Mobile"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb7997aa76e524009/698784b9e53abab9cc4d8333/458046608.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Victor Luckerson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/victor-luckerson/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb7997aa76e524009/698784b9e53abab9cc4d8333/458046608.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-TECHONOLOGY-GOOGLE","caption":"US-TECHONOLOGY-GOOGLE","creditText":"Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3754198/android-unlocked-phone/","name":"Your Next Phone Could Stay Unlocked As You Carry It"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"10 Free Must-Have Android Apps","description":"Great everyday apps that span multiple genres","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/3QsoJP67/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-07-15T18:28:06.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3QsoJP67.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3754198/android-unlocked-phone/","duration":"PT1M21S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3754198/android-unlocked-phone/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```