Auto-lock feature taken away with latest gear manager update!

[godzillinois]

Are you one of the Gear owners who loved the "Auto-Lock" feature in the Gear Manager settings that enabled your connected phone to be unlocked when your watch was near it and then locked if it was too far away? Well Samsung has decided to take that awesome feature away with it's latest Gear Manager OS update. It's bad enough that I feel unsupported due to the lack of apps Tizen has (doesn't have) and now they're starting to take away features from their wearables? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO IS PISSED ABOUT THIS?!

 

[pduffer]

When was your Gear Manager update? I just bought my Neo 2 a couple of weeks ago and the auto lock feature is a big reason why I bought it. So far it is still working between my Neo and my Note 4.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[godzillinois]

The update was today, am I the only one that doesn't have Auto-Lock anymore? It's so frustrating, now when I receive a notification on my watch and click on "view app on device" I STILL have to unlock my phone to see it!

 

[pduffer]

As I recall, I did have to reset my auto lock a few days ago as it stopped working. Since then it has worked fine. I just wish I didn't have to swipe my screen to unlock, but that is still better than having to enter a pin or pattern. Ideally as long as I was wearing my watch my phone would just open like it did before I installed the auto lock.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[godzillinois]

As I recall, I did have to reset my auto lock a few days ago as it stopped working. Since then it has worked fine. I just wish I didn't have to swipe my screen to unlock, but that is still better than having to enter a pin or pattern. Ideally as long as I was wearing my watch my phone would just open like it did before I installed the auto lock.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Did you get a Gear Manager update yesterday?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[AXEL314]

Did you get a Gear Manager update yesterday?

Posted via the Android Central App

Yes. And it still works.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[godzillinois]

Is anybody else having this problem besides me?

 

[godzillinois]

Yes. And it still works.

Posted via the Android Central App

AXEL - can you confirm that you no longer see the auto-lock option in the Gear settings menu?

 

[AXEL314]

AXEL - can you confirm that you no longer see the auto-lock option in the Gear settings menu?

It's still there for me. The version number at bottom of screenshot

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[godzillinois]

Thanks AXEL, it looks like my version is different than yours - 2.215070942_2.2.02.15071741

My advice is to go to your Galaxy Apps, look up the Gear Manager app and uncheck "Autoupdate." Unless this is a carrier-specific problem (which I doubt) you may have another update in your future. If you want to keep Auto-Lock you'll stay on the current version you have until something is resolved with this.

So no one else besides me is having this problem? I find that hard to believe considering Samsung confirmed that this feature is gone.

 

[pduffer]

Well, I have realized that the story you get from Samsung may vary depending on who you speak with.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[NoFaQ]

What kind of lock screen do you have set? My work requires the device to be encrypted, which requires an alphanumeric password, which disable the ability of the auto lock.

 

[AXEL314]

Thanks AXEL, it looks like my version is different than yours - 2.215070942_2.2.02.15071741

My advice is to go to your Galaxy Apps, look up the Gear Manager app and uncheck "Autoupdate." Unless this is a carrier-specific problem (which I doubt) you may have another update in your future. If you want to keep Auto-Lock you'll stay on the current version you have until something is resolved with this.

So no one else besides me is having this problem? I find that hard to believe considering Samsung confirmed that this feature is gone.

My god, you're right! I forgot to unchecked auto update from the Samsung Store (for some reason I was thinking the Play Store) and guess what? I lost my unlock feature! What moron would change it around so it locks your phone when it's in your own damn hand? !


Edit* ok I got my unlock feature working again. Unpairing the watch and re-paring to my phone, I went into the settings and unchecked and rechecked the Auto Lock which brings you to a setup screen, going through your lock screen settings. Now it works again, thank goodness. Reading the description you'd think the Auto Lock does indeed lock your phone if you're within range! So backwards compared to before.


Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Jungfan]

My god, you're right! I forgot to unchecked auto update from the Samsung Store (for some reason I was thinking the Play Store) and guess what? I lost my unlock feature! What moron would change it around so it locks your phone when it's in your own damn hand? !


Edit* ok I got my unlock feature working again. Unpairing the watch and re-paring to my phone, I went into the settings and unchecked and rechecked the Auto Lock which brings you to a setup screen, going through your lock screen settings. Now it works again, thank goodness. Reading the description you'd think the Auto Lock does indeed lock your phone if you're within range! So backwards compared to before.


Posted via the Android Central App

K, please explain how you got your auto unlock working again. I had to reboot my phone because it's was overloaded with garbage. So after re-installing the gear manager, I now have no "auto unlock" option in my security options. In fact the only option in my security setting is for downloading unknown. ... things. Anyways, I'm hoping this function is still available. I think Samsung has done a **** job making these watchs a desirable thing to have, and to take away features that made it good it's just stupid!! And frustrating!! But never the less, I bought one, and enjoy it, even tho its basically useless (For me). But having my phone unlocked while my watch is in range and locked when it's out of range was probably one of my favorite features of having a "smart" watch. But back to the point, is it possible to have that feature still.... or are those days gone now

 

[pduffer]

My Note 4 on Verizon with Android 5.01 unlocks flawlessly when in range of my Gear 2 Neo.

 

[JazzyInChicago]

JungFan,

I am having the same problem. Had this working for years and broke my phone. After getting a replacement S5 and installing Gear manager I could not find at all where the Auto lock feature was (Felt like I was going nuts)! This was also one of my favorite features and I am upset that it is gone. Please let me know if you come up with any answers!

 

[jmatteis]

My god, you're right! I forgot to unchecked auto update from the Samsung Store (for some reason I was thinking the Play Store) and guess what? I lost my unlock feature! What moron would change it around so it locks your phone when it's in your own damn hand? !


Edit* ok I got my unlock feature working again. Unpairing the watch and re-paring to my phone, I went into the settings and unchecked and rechecked the Auto Lock which brings you to a setup screen, going through your lock screen settings. Now it works again, thank goodness. Reading the description you'd think the Auto Lock does indeed lock your phone if you're within range! So backwards compared to before.


Posted via the Android Central App

When I try to click the auto-lock spot, I have to go through the pattern verification and set a pattern again, and pin code, but then when it goes back out, the box is not checked... and if I try to click it again, it goes through the same process with a fail at the end... My app just updated Nov 4th

Just finished up with Support Chat, they confirm that the auto-lock feature was removed.

From the chat:

Adina: I checked my resources thoroughly and I see that the update has removed this feature of auto lock.
Adina: As of now we do not have any reported issues on this, thank you for bringing this to our notice.
Adina: The auto lock has removed to improvise the security of the data.

I replied back asking if that should be left to the end user, as they are my devices, and I should decide if I am concerned about the security of what is on my phone. I mean, some people don't even set a passcode, so what's next, they'll remove that, and force people to put protection on their device?
Unless there were issues where someone with said watch could just be near another S5 or similar and cause it to unlock, but then the BT is the problem, not the app or software!

 

[jmy7213]

Its gone from my phone as well. But the work around on the Note 5, is to goto Settings/Lock Screen and Security/Secure Lock Settings/Smart Lock. In here you can choose the Neo 2 as a trusted bluetooth device. Anytime your watch is in range, the only lock is Slide to Unlock. But you dont have to do a pattern or fingerprint.

 

[NoFaQ]

It didn't get removed, it just got moved.

Go to Settings-->General-->Lock Screen-->Screen Lock. Near the bottom, above none is Auto-Lock.

 

[godzillinois]

It didn't get removed, it just got moved.

Go to Settings-->General-->Lock Screen-->Screen Lock. Near the bottom, above none is Auto-Lock.

No I don't believe you understand, that's the general phone settings for screen lock. Before the update if I received a notification on my watch I could unlock my phone with just a swipe even if I had a pattern lock set. If my watch got too far from my phone it would revert back to the pattern screen lock. It was one of the best features of my watch imo and one of the reasons I don't use my Neo as much anymore