Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is working to carry a Privateness Display screen characteristic to Google Drive for Android.
- This may be a long-overdue addition to the Android app because it’s been obtainable on the iOS app for a number of years.
- This characteristic requires verification earlier than you possibly can open the Drive app, providing you with an additional layer of safety.
It’s not extraordinary for Google’s apps on iOS to get options earlier than their Android counterparts. Now, it appears to be like like Google Drive on Android is lastly getting a safety characteristic that’s been obtainable on the iOS app for a number of years.
An APK teardown helps predict options which will arrive on a service sooner or later primarily based on work-in-progress code. Nevertheless, it’s doable that such predicted options might not make it to a public launch.
We dug into the newest model of Google Drive for Android (model 2-24-467-3) and found quite a few references to a Privateness Display screen characteristic. “When Privateness Display screen is turned on, you’ll be requested to confirm it’s you when opening this app,” reads one of many strings seen under.
Code
Confirm it’s you
Google
Confirm it’s you
Privateness Display screen
Require authentication
Your shared information should still be obtainable by web browsers or different apps
"Notifications Different system performance"
Privateness Display screen might not shield:
When Privateness Display screen is turned on, you’ll be requested to confirm it’s you when opening this
app
Privateness Display screen
Privateness Display screen Google Drive for iOS has had a Privateness Display screen characteristic since 2020, and this requires you to scan your fingerprint or face to open the app. So, it’s clear that Google is working to port this characteristic to the Android model.
The characteristic isn’t excellent, as one of many strings means that your information would possibly nonetheless be accessible through net browsers and different apps. Moreover, Google famous on the time of Privateness Display screen’s iOS launch that it may not shield your Drive notifications, for one.
However, this is able to be a long-overdue however welcome addition to Google Drive on Android. Individuals host a great deal of delicate recordsdata on Google’s cloud storage service. so this is able to give them an additional layer of safety within the occasion that somebody has their unlocked cellphone. This may be helpful if you happen to incessantly let your children use your unlocked Android cellphone or pill. Stock Android doesn’t provide app lock performance, both, so constructing this characteristic into Google Drive would be sure that it’s obtainable to all customers.
