Pixel 4: Face unlock to lock screen or home screen?

Adam Zeis

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Dec 20, 2010
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Really enjoying the Pixel 4 XL so far, but one thing I'm hung up on is whether to have face unlock just go to the lock screen or bypass the lock screen. I feel like most times I just want to see my notifications and not necessarily unlock, so right now I don't have it set to bypass. If I want to do anything further I'll give a quick swipe and do my thing.

What are you finding works for you and why? Curious to know if I'm doing it wrong!
 

dmxjago

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Jul 3, 2012
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I haven't tried that method yet, but I do often unlock my screen accidentally when I just want to view my notifications. Maybe I'll give that a try.
 

bcbbanga4l

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Jul 15, 2010
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Wow I was thinking today how I unlocked my phone by looking at it and I was missing something. It might have been my lock screen. Going to also try that way.
 

thunderup

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Dec 21, 2011
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Right now I have mine set to show the lock screen. Often times I just want to interact with notifications. My only issue is that when I reach for the phone and it's showing that dim version of the lock screen, if I swipe up from there to unlock, the screen kind of flashes a black screen before it goes to the home screen. If I tap on the dim screen and it goes to full brightness, I can swipe up from there and it goes to the home screen without issue. I don't know if I'm describing that very well, but once you see it you can't un-see it.
 

henryfool3

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Aug 18, 2011
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I have it open to the lock screen so I can see notifications - it's so fast to open that the extra swipe is barely a thing.
 

anon(9918034)

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I absolutely love unlocking directly to my home screen. I was always annoyed with FaceID unlocking and then having to swipe to get to the home screen.
 

LeoRex

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Nov 21, 2012
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I'm on the fence... I never realized how much I used the lock screen controls to manage my notifications until I couldn't. And I'm unintentionally unlocking my phone quite a few times due to absentmindedly picking up the phone to look at it.

I'm still toggling back and forth to see what I prefer.
 

swarlos

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Mar 8, 2010
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This is why  chose not to implement in this way, yes  should provide the option to unlock straight to the home screen but if you get a quick message and want to send a quick reply but instead it went straight to the home screen then you would have to do some additional steps.

This is where the illusion of Pixel’s and other phones with face unlock seem faster is because of this choice to just instantaneously go to the home screen. I prefer the ability to see my lock screen and then decide if I want to continue onto my home screen.
 

almath

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Jan 28, 2011
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I just don't understand why people would use face "unlock" if you don't want to unlock your phone. It's to unlock the phone, I don't want to do a secondary step of putting in the pin or I would just use a pin. My opinion...
 

thunderup

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Dec 21, 2011
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I just don't understand why people would use face "unlock" if you don't want to unlock your phone. It's to unlock the phone, I don't want to do a secondary step of putting in the pin or I would just use a pin. My opinion...
I don't think that's what anyone here is doing. When I pick up my phone it unlocks, but still shows the lock screen so I can interact with the notifications there. A simple swipe up takes me to my home screen, no pin required.
 

idiotekniques

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Nov 24, 2011
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After a couple days of face unlocking the phone straight to whatever screen was last opened, I switched it to lock screen and it's much better already, for my usage
 

bcbbanga4l

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Jul 15, 2010
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So I gave it a go and switched it from last screen used to lock screen and I came to the conclusion that I like picking up my phone seeing home screen and swiping down for notifications. I get a lot of notifications so seeing them all on my lock screen takes up my wallpaper. Lol going to try the home screen option a little more