Google Play Services 6.5 brings trusted places to Smart Lock in Lollipop

Google has adopted one of Motorola’s most convenient features in the new Lollipop update. Smart Lock allows you to connect a Bluetooth device to your Android phone or tablet and use it as a way to bypass your security lock. It’s especially convenient if you have an Android Wear device or a Pebble, allowing you to rarely have to put in your password. Google is stepping it up with the newest Google Play Services update, now allowing users to set “trusted places.”

If you don’t have any Bluetooth devices in every day use, you’re in luck. Certain locations can now be set to unlock your device, making it much easier to unlock your device. We can see this coming in handy when it comes to spending time at work or home. Through Smart Lock, you can choose which Google account you’d like to associate the feature with. And if you have your location for work and home set up in Google, it should automatically populate your location without having to type it in. You can add custom locations as well, leaving your options basically endless.

While “trusted locations” is a really nice feature, you may want to proceed with some caution. When a Bluetooth device is connected to your device through Smart Lock, for instance and Android Wear device, that device will be on you at all times when you’re out and about. If someone steals your phone and walks away from you, they’re locked out completely with little to no chance of getting back into it. With “trusted places” however, whenever the device is in that certain location, they can still access it. So, you may want to think twice about setting your “trusted place” to the bar that you frequent, because you may still be prone to something bad happening.

To enable “trusted places” on your device, you need Google’s most recent Play Services 6.5 update, which began rolling out earlier today. Once you get the update, head to Settings>Security>Smart Lock, and there you have it! Remember, you need to have a PIN, password, or pattern enabled to enable Smart Lock.