Clearly, Google is doing rid of its SmartLock feature, which was a standout feature of the Chromebook. Customers could use SmartLock to unlock a Chromebook by pairing their Android phone with the computer over Bluetooth.
However, Google considers that this function is useless to Chrome OS, based on entries in the Chromium Repository (via Chrome Story).
The team employed a tracker to find out how many customers had SmartLock activated, and after discovering that it wasn’t being used much, they pushed out an upgrade that introduced a SmartLock sign-in elimination flag, as well as notifying customers who had previously used the function of the pending change.
A change comment clarified that this is a complete removal of SmartLock, not just a temporary disablement for an upgrade. “Since we’re getting rid of the sign-in with Sensible Lock function, we don’t want this subpage,” the statement continues.
Because Google hasn’t made an official statement about the problem, it’s best to attend before believing this as gospel truth.
Will SmartLock be missed?
SmartLock may be on its way out, but it doesn’t appear that many people would notice if it did. If Google’s monitoring data is correct, and the function was rarely used, adding another function is not only unnecessary, but also potentially harmful.
Something extra and underused in a system with interlocking parts and alternatives like computers does not provide value, but it does force the developer, and even the computer itself, to incorporate that function into whatever it’s doing.
If the Chromebook is constantly looking for an Android phone that can unlock it but seldom, if ever, does so, then it is wasting power and likely battery life.
Furthermore, any unnecessary options may degrade or even disrupt the performance of other options, so it’s not worth keeping a rarely used function around “just in case.”
And, while it isn’t official that the SmartLock feature will be removed, it should if it isn’t being utilized, as removing it could actually help Chromebooks perform better as a result.
To read our blog on “Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 7c Gen 2: Entry-Level PC and Chromebook Refresh,” click here.
