For years, Samsung has had Secure Folder, a feature that allows Galaxy device owners to hide and protect selected apps from outside parties. It’s a feature that many non-Galaxy phone owners have wanted, and in a bit of happy news to end 2023, it appears that a native version is currently being built by Google for all Android users.
Reported to be called Private Space with demo build screenshots floating around thanks to Mishaal Rahman, we can see that this feature is very much similar to Samsung’s Secure Folder. A user selects the apps they wish to protect, then in order to see and access them, you’ll need to go through biometrics or have a password ready to go.
Due to this feature still being in testing, we’re not 100% sure if Google is sticking with its layout for when apps are selected to be private. As you can see in the header above, apps chosen to be made private are seen via the app drawer, which sort of takes away from the sense of privacy. However, it could be as simple as adding a setting for hiding private apps from the app screen. Regardless, when Google Photos added Locked Folder, you better believe there were many happy people out there. I sense the same thing will happen when Private Space is made widely available.
And speaking of availability, the best guess is currently Android 15, given how complete the feature seems to Rahman. Unless Google pulls a fast one and turns it into a Pixel exclusive via a Feature Drop, you should pencil in the next version of Android to offer Private Space.
Who here is ready to hide some apps?
Redundantly stupid. Private Space will be secured by biometrics or password….like the actual phone is? If one can get into the phone with biometrics or password then surely they can get into the Private Space. Be better to just encrypt the entire phone.
But good to see Google is trying to return to innovation. A better new product is Google’s NotebookLM that went public this past week.
so the point of this is if another person is using my phone, then they cannot access certain features that I want behind some security?
if I don’t trust a person to use all features and apps installed on my phone, then they don’t get to use my phone. at this point in time, a phone is an extension of a wallet, and yeah, I don’t just go handing that out to people I don’t trust.
this is a useless feature for Samsung, and a useless feature for Android.
“this is a useless feature for
Samsungme, and a useless feature forAndroidme.”Fixed.
A publicly known secure folder is actually a honey trap. You should NEVER “hide” anything in a secure folder that is public information.
A.) It is the first place anyone will look
B.) You can be forced to open it or your biometrics will be used to open it
If you want to secure information, use a lockbox that supports obfuscated tiered security hidden as a random system folder so breach of a first level doesn’t breach all levels.
Sounds like you have a product in mind??
VeraCrypt already does everything he is talking about. It’s called something else in Android.