Have you ever found yourself clicking on an icon, like your camera, when the phone is lock mode thinking you can open an app directly? As long as I have used smartphones I keep doing this even though you would think I know better.

Google is apparently aware of this as well and has applied for a patent that lets you click, then drag an app to open it directly.



The abstract reads:

"Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for receiving, by a computing system that is locked, input from a user that provides an unlocking pattern. During entry of the unlocking pattern, a display of the computing system does not provide a visual indication of an action that will be performed upon the user completing the unlocking pattern. The computing system compares the provided unlocking pattern to a plurality of stored unlocking patterns to determine whether the provided unlocking pattern matches any of the stored unlocking patterns. The stored unlocking patterns are associated with respective actions that are performed upon completion of the respective unlocking patterns. The unlocking patterns are associated with a same level of unlocked security access to the computing system. The computing system responds by unlocking the computing system and performing the action that is associated with the matching unlocking pattern."

Simple!