To add to Scott's contribution, I want to be able to automatically lock my 
phone, but only when I'm not in a "safe" environment.  I can set up rules in 
third party applications (such as Setting Profiles) that could (before 
Froyo) enable the lock screen by default, but disable it when I am at home 
or in other pre-defined safe places (such as friends' and family's homes). 
 That way, it is easy for me to use the phone in places where I don't expect 
it to get stolen or abused by others, but still make sure it's locked when 
I'm away from such safe places.  And even if the phone does get stolen from 
one of these places, it will revert to locking as soon as the thief removes 
it from the premises.

What the API should be able to do is to prevent the lock screen from 
activating once the phone has already been unlocked - provided that 
corporate requirements (which don't apply to the vast majority of personal 
devices) don't require locking at all times.  

So, if there is API access to the lock screen, on entry to the safe 
situation (place, in my example; others may choose other ways to define 
"safe"), I would have to unlock my phone just once, so that a thief can't 
deactivate the lock screen simply by complying with whatever rule switches 
off the lock screen.  From then on, for as long as the safe condition 
continues, the phone will no longer automatically lock.  Once the condition 
ceases to apply (e.g. I move far enough away from my "safe place"), the 
phone should lock automatically again.

That way, it is possible to get a very good balance between ease of use and 
security.

Like many others in this thread, I now find myself with much LOWER security 
on Froyo than before, because I manually switch the lock screen off when at 
home, but then forget to switch it back on again when leaving home. 
 Clearly, this is the exact opposite of what was intended by removing the 
ability to programmatically control the lock screen.  

Julie

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