Instantly Show the Security Prompt on the Lock Screen

With a popular Xposed Module, we can bypass the requirement to swipe up on the lock screen before entering our PIN, Pattern or Password.

With the introduction of Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google started showing notifications directly on the lock screen. This made a number of people upset for a few reasons. The biggest complaint I saw at the time, was this would prevent widgets from being placed on the lock screen. Being able to check the notifications on the lock screen seemed way more important, in Google’s eyes, and after using it this way for a while – I have to agree.

Another complaint I saw about this move was that it added another step to unlocking the device (for some people).

Before, all we had to do was turn on the display to our phone and then we could instantly start inputting our pin, pattern or password. With Android 5.0 Lollipop, this forced people to swipe up on the screen before they could start entering their security credentials. It wasn’t a big deal for most people, but it’s still adding another layer onto the unlocking process.

So today, I want to show you an Xposed Module that will bypass this swipe up screen so you can instantly start putting in your PIN, pattern or password. Since this requires an Xposed Module, you will need to have your bootloader unlocked, a custom recovery installed, root access to your device and the Xposed Framework installed.

GravityBox Direct Unlock

1. Launch the Xposed Framework Application
2. Tap the ‘Download’ button
3. Search for, install, and activate the GravityBox Xposed Module (for your version of Android)
4. Reboot your smartphone or tablet
5. Launch the GravityBox application
6. Tap on the ‘Lockscreen Tweaks’ option
7. Tap on the ‘Direct Unlock’ option
8. Then pick how you want the Direct Unlock feature to be implemented

Explanation

I try to write tutorials for how to install Xposed Framework on as many devices as possible. I can only buy so many smartphones throughout the year, and without proper funding, I can only create so many tutorials per day. So this guide will presume that you have Xposed Framework installed and properly setup before you can begin with the steps detailed above. Once you have that all setup though, you can then search for and install the GravityBox Xposed Module.

There are different versions of GravityBox for different versions of Android. So be sure you install the correct one. After this Xposed Module has been installed, you can then go back to the main menu and activate it through the Modules menu. After it has been activated, you’ll want to reboot your smartphone or tablet so that everything is installed properly. Once you are back into Android, you’ll then need to look for the GravityBox application icon within the App Drawer.

Go ahead and launch the application that gets installed, and then you’ll need to look for the Lockscreen Tweaks option. For me, this was right at the top of the list but it could be different for you. In this section of GravityBox, look for the Direct Unlock option after you scroll down through the list a little bit. Tapping on this Direct Unlock option will bring up a window prompt that asks you which way you want it enabled.

By default, this option is disabled, so you’ll either want to tap on the Standard option or the See Through option. I demonstrate what each of these options do in the embedded video above, but it’s pretty straight forward. The Standard option will only display the PIN, pattern or password prompt when you press the Power button to wake the display. The See Through option will make this security prompt transparent, so that you can still see the clock widget as well as any notifications that are on the screen.

So once enabled, all you have to do is press the Power button (or however else you wake the display), and then you’re instantly asked to enter your PIN, pattern or password (instead of having to swipe up first).