These days, smartphones are a treasure trove of people’s personal information — from banking credentials or health records — just waiting to be tapped into. Naturally, that makes protecting your device even more important and Google is giving us a way to take better control of security with an upcoming feature on Android 15 called private space.
With private space, Android users can hide away certain apps that they don’t want bad actors getting access to in what Google calls a “digital safe.” When you think of how many people have Venmo or Cash App installed without some extra layer of protection like Apple’s FaceID, Google’s private space feature makes a lot of sense. There’s not much stopping someone from sending themselves your entire balance on these apps when you hand them your phone to punch in their number or social media contact.
Comprehensive Protection
The private space feature works by creating a separate space on your device to tuck all your apps with sensitive info into. It’s best to sequester apps that have anything to do with your money or personal data you don’t want people to have access to. Google said the private space works off a separate user profile where the profile is paused and the included apps are no longer active when you lock it. To access it, you have to either use the device lock or a custom lock setup.
Even better, any apps that are locked away in your private space are hidden from the recents screen and other apps. The apps also get their data and notifications isolated from the rest of your phone.
Features Rolling Out This Year
Along with the private space feature, Android users will also get access to Theft Detection Lock, which uses Google AI to sense if someone snatched your smartphone and locks it down, and Google Play Protect, which also leans on AI to detect if any of your installed apps are showing suspicious activity like phishing. On a lighter note, Google is also working on a feature that lets you create digital versions of things like event tickets, library cards, gym memberships, or car insurance, in case you ever forget the physical version of something.
Google just released the second beta of Android 15 to developers, but the private space feature should be coming to users this year. The other features, like Theft Detection Lock and Google Play Protect, will also be released later this year. In the meantime, we recommend staying vigilant about who you hand your phone to.
