One such way to keep your Android smartphone secure is to lock with PIN (personal identification number). However, if someone happens to get access to your PIN, they are free to do just about anything, including wiping your device. As a result, you need to be extra vigilant to ensure that neither friends nor strangers are looking over your shoulder while you are entering your PIN. But, what if your PIN changed over time, using a pattern that only you were aware of? That’s the idea behind a brand new app from developer Chirag Galani, which automatically changes your PIN based on settings like date, current time, battery percentage, and any combination thereof. The app known as DroidLock will not only make your smartphone or tablet more secure, but it will also relieve you of the worry about someone looking over your shoulder. What is remarkable about the app is that it is not a lock screen replacement app, it just changes your PIN. In other words, you can not only retain your existing lock screen and all of its security measures, but also everything will be just a little more secure than it was before at the same time. Step 1: Install DroidLock Currently, in its beta testing phases, the app that gives you a contextually-aware PIN is called DroidLock: Dynamic Lockscreen. You will need to sign up to be a beta tester on Google Play, then install the app from the Google Play Store via the link you are given after signing up. Step 2: Run Through Initial Setup You will be welcomed by a set-up guide when you first launch DroidLock. First, the app will ask you to enter a master PIN, which will be used to access the DroidLock app or unlock your device after a restart. Then, you will need to enter a security question, along with an answer. You will also have to provide a recovery email address. Only in the event that you forget your master PIN would this information be used. Next, DroidLock will ask you to enable the app as a Device Administrator. This is how DroidLock will have permission to change your PIN automatically. Therefore, ensure that you press “Activate” here, and do the same on the following popup. Finally, you will be asked to grant a pair of additional permissions, if your device is running Android 6.0 or higher. So, press “Allow” on both of these popups, then you will be done with initial setup. Step 3: Set Your PIN Type Once you reach the app’s main menu, start by enabling DroidLock’s main service with the toggle switch at the top of the screen. From here, if you would like your contextually-aware PIN to be based on the current time, enable the first option under the Time tab. Further, if you wish to have the automatic PIN use either the 12-hour or 24-hour format by toggling either of the next two switches. However, if you wish to use any of the other options here, you will have to buy the pro version with an in-app purchase of $2.51. Besides that, you can use the current date or your battery percentage as the context for your automatic PIN, and the set-up process for each of these tabs is the same as the Time tab. If you have opted to go for the $2.51 pro version, you can enable the toggle switch under the Geek tab, then press “Set Geek PIN” to make your own custom rules for the automatic PIN. For example, you could use a combination of the current hour and the current date as your PIN, or any setup you could think of. Also, it is worth mentioning the Add-Ons tab, which is another pro-only feature. With these options, you can make your automatic PIN a little less clear by mirroring the numbers, adding them together, doubling the value, or reversing the PIN itself. Step 4: Unlock Your Device with an Always-Changing PIN Once you have your settings done, you will be ready to try out your automatic PIN. However, you need to note one thing, which is that you will have to enter your master PIN the first time you unlock your device after setting up DroidLock or immediately following a reboot. Aside from those warnings, depending on the contexts you have selected, your PIN will always be different henceforth. For instance, if you opted for the battery-based PIN, just enter your current battery percentage twice, or for time-based PIN, just look at your clock before you unlock your device, then enter those numbers. Source: Wonderhowto
