Windows Goodbye or Dynamic Lock – New Windows 10 Feature

Windows 10 Creators Update is all set to get many new and interesting features. There appears to be another new feature named “Dynamic Lock” in the road map that Microsoft hasn’t disclosed yet. Windows 10 Preview build 15002 adds a “Dynamic Lock” option in Settings app.

Dynamic Lock might be named as “Windows Goodbye” — reportedly, it’s called so internally. [Src: WindowsCentral.com]

The setting is stored in the following registry key, in a DWORD value named EnableGoodbye

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Windows Goodbye or “Dynamic Lock” locks the device if it detects that the user is not around. Whereas “Windows Hello” signs in the user using face recognition. It’s unclear how the Dynamic Lock feature will work — whether a supporting hardware (camera, sensors) is required and if so, what type of equipment?

If Dynamic Lock is intended to be a Creators Update feature, more information about it would the upcoming weeks — straight from the horse’s mouth. All the description says is “Allow Windows to detect when you’re away and automatically lock the device”. It’s possible that this feature locks the device when you’re not near it for n number of minutes. You’re able to enable the setting even if you don’t use Windows Hello.

As said earlier, Microsoft hasn’t documented this setting and we don’t know what’s the prerequisite for this feature. It might be possible that the feature checks keyboard inputs, mouse movements and clicks, and/or uses promiximity sensor or RealSense camera to know if the user is around, or not.

Update: “WalkingCat” on Twitter hinted that Dynamic Lock could be the same as Windows Hello’s Proximity Lock.

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/819414569978249216

The WinHec Slide #18 which WalkingCat linked to, reveals this information.

The slide shows the following key information.

Never worry about locking your computer as you walk away from it. With “Proximity Lock”, your computer simply figures out if you’re there or not and automatically locks itself in your absence, such as with Bluetooth, among other future protocols.

Simple customer experience

• Pair your phone with your device using Bluetooth — Once paired, enabled by default
• Device locks upon losing Bluetooth signal
• Additional Bluetooth setting – On/Off
• Investigating slight delay to lock as you walk / lose signal

That’s an interesting piece of news. Whatsoever may be the technology used, Dynamic Lock might be a useful addition to strengthen the security of the device, especially in enterprise environment and especially helpful for users who forget to lock the workstation (WinKey + L) when going for a coffee break.