We Asked, You Told Us: You're Split Over Locking Your Smartwatch

A Google Pixel Watch on a user's wrist highlights the digital crown.

Caitlin Cimino/Android Authority

Everyone seems to lock their smartphone either with a PIN or biometric authentication. But what about smart watches? We were wondering if Android Authority readers are blocking their watches, so we posted a survey to find out.

It has been a few days since the survey was published on November 17th. How did the readers vote? You can check the results below.

Block connected watch?

Results, achievements

About 1,100 votes were cast in this poll, and the results seem to be split almost evenly. 51% of respondents said they didn't lock their smartwatch, winning by a very small margin in the answer to the "yes" question.

Most of the people who said they locked their smartwatch said they did it for the mobile payment features. Of course, there are other reasons to lock your portable device, such as to protect your privacy and in case of theft. But those reasons pale in comparison to mobile payments.

Meanwhile, 49% of readers surveyed said they didn't block their smartwatches. At least one reader noted that it would be annoying to unlock the watch every time you want to wear it.

Comment

Usher: I blocked it because of mobile payments. I just need to unlock it when I take it off my wrist to charge it.
duckofdeath - If you want to enable contactless payments, there is no option here. Locked down, but authentication is only required once a day.
ugh...: I like that Samsung Pay can be used, so it's a must.
Bondatt: My watch is usually unlocked, but a PIN is required before using Samsung Pay for payments.
Kent Seaton: My not-so-smart watch doesn't support NFC. Writes if I have a message or an incoming call, but there are no details about this. It also didn't unlock my phone... so I don't see any reason to lock it other than to prevent anyone from changing the settings. The watch lock can also be easily unlocked with a factory reset, making the watch lock an undeniable theft deterrent.
Konrad Uroda-Darlak: Automatic lock when removed from the hand :)
bradavon: It wouldn't be so boring to unlock it to use the watch. All they could get was a few testimonials. I used to hate using Samsung Pay on my watch because I had to enter a cumbersome PIN every time. Also, if you also have a phone and it's literally strapped to your hand, few thieves will try.