Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google may be working on smartwatch support for Android’s Identity Check feature.
- A connected watch could serve as a second authentication factor outside trusted locations.
- The feature was spotted in the latest version of Google Play Services beta.
Google recently introduced a feature called Identity Check on Android 15 and later devices, designed to add extra protection from phone theft when you’re outside of predefined trusted locations. Now it looks like Google is working on an upgrade that could make the experience a little smoother — by allowing your smartwatch to play a role in verifying your identity.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
According to strings of code we spotted in version 25.29.31 of the Google Play Services beta, Identity Check may soon recognize a connected smartwatch as a kind of trust signal. They suggest that, if your watch is nearby and connected, your phone may treat that as a sign that you’re still in control. This could potentially reduce how much you need to authenticate with biometrics while not in one of your safe spots.
This wouldn’t necessarily remove the need for your fingerprint or PIN entirely, but it could strike a better balance between convenience and security for users who already unlock their watch with a PIN and keep it strapped to their wrist. It’s a small touch that could make Android’s theft protection feel a bit less intrusive in everyday use.
Here are the strings we noticed:
Code
<string name="identity_check_setup_watch_description">With your watch connected, Identity Check automatically recognizes you while maintaining your security even when you’re not in a trusted location</string>
<string name="identity_check_setup_watch_title">Protection on the move with watch</string>As an in-progress feature, we don’t yet know if this addition to Identity Check will eventually roll out in a public release or if it will work exactly as we have assumed here. With Android’s security tools continuing to evolve, smartwatch security integration seems like a logical next step, as long as the mugger doesn’t swipe your wearable at the same time as your phone.
