How To: Automatically Lock & Unlock Your Android with Your Pocket

There are those who hold their phone or set it down when they're not using it, and others, like myself, who pocket it. If you're like me and are rocking the pants pocket fade, then you'll love the new Android app I found.

It's called Pocket Lock, by developer PaeP3nguin, and it automatically locks your phone whenever you shove it in your pocket, and unlocks it when you take it out. And it does this using your device's accelerometer and proximity sensors. You can also set it up to turn lock and unlock whenever you wave your hand over the screen or flip the device upside-down.

Allowing Device Administrator Access

After installing, open the app and follow the two-step procedure to allow Pocket Lock to access your lock screen. Tap the lock icon, then Activate it as a device administrator.

Fine-Tuning Your Settings

Before you start using the app, open its settings to tweak your preferences. Primarily, you may want to adjust your Locking method to use only the proximity sensor, accelerometer, or both. You can also set up delays prior to locking/unlocking, enable Face down detection, have the app start on boot, and even set specific angles, among others.

Once your settings have been configured, you're ready to roll.

Uninstalling Pocket Lock

Because this app is set as a device administrator, uninstalling it by conventional methods is not possible, but it's still easy. Just enter the app, open the menu, select the Uninstall option.

Pocket Lock's Pro Features

Pocket Lock is simple and convenient for everyone that keeps their phone in their pocket. For an in-app purchase of $0.99, you can support the developer and unlock a couple of features, including unlimited blacklisting and Night Mode, which deactivates the service at night to conserve battery.

Let us know what you think of Pocket Lock in the comments below, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. And if you're interested in other gesture-based functions, check out how you can control your Android without touching it and how to control music with hand gestures.