www.androidpolice.com Android 13 is finally making smart home controls as convenient as they should have been all along

As long as developers support it

Based solely on the developer previews we've seen so far, Android 13 seems to be a year of refinement, as Google works to sand off some of the rougher edges that came with last year's substantial redesign. It's also working to improve some of those pesky frustrations we've all run into on our smartphones. If you're tired of unlocking your device to control your smart home gadgets, Android 13 is the update for you.

As spotted by Mishaal Rahman at Esper.io, Google's next OS upgrade will finally make it possible to use those built-in smart home controls without having to type in a PIN, password, or even use a fingerprint sensor. We've complained in the past about how ridiculous of a requirement it is, adding seconds onto a task as simple as turning on or off a light. And AP's crew of Android diehards are far from the only people who find this experience frustrating — a quick browse through Reddit is all you need to find countless users who feel the same way.

Controlling your gadgets without unlocking your smartphone will be made possible through a new API added to Android 13. Rahman found a new isAuthRequired method for Control classes, which checks to see if a specific Device Control can be used without requiring an unlock. This API would be enough to allow Android's built-in smart controls to function without any sort of unlock, but to put it to the test, Rahman reached out to João Dias, the developer behind Tasker. He threw together a demo of how the feature will work with app support, and it looks like exactly what we've been asking for since the days of Android 11.

This function is done on an app-by-app basis, so don't expect every piece of software to adopt it. It also limits users from being able to pick what does and doesn't work without an unlock — instead, you're totally reliant on devs to allow smart light control and disallow security cameras or smart locks. Still, it's a major step in the right direction, and should make controlling your home a whole lot easier.

Make sure to keep it locked to our Android 13 DP2 coverage to learn about everything we've spotted so far. And if you wanna try it out for yourself, installing DP2 only takes a few minutes of your time.

Will has been an Android enthusiast since he got his first smartphone in 2011. He loves watching movies, has a never-ending backlog of video games, and produces podcasts in his spare time. He lives in Buffalo, NY and is willing to give you chicken wing recommendations at any time. Just ask.