Overview
- Reports published from app code analysis show Google is developing a feature called Phone to Watch Unlock that would let a paired Pixel phone automatically unlock a Pixel Watch after the phone is unlocked.
- The feature reverses Google’s existing Watch Unlock flow, which today lets an unlocked Pixel Watch unlock a Pixel phone.
- App strings indicate setup will require users to enable the feature and enter their current watch PIN once so the phone can be trusted to unlock the watch.
- Code was found in Google’s Connected Phone and Watch Services component, which suggests the capability may be limited to Pixel phone–Pixel Watch pairings and implemented at the system level.
- No official rollout date has been announced and reports frame any release as unconfirmed; some outlets speculate it could arrive with upcoming Android 17 Feature Drop or alongside Pixel Watch announcements.