Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is working to bring a Privacy Screen feature to Google Drive for Android.
- This would be a long-overdue addition to the Android app as it’s been available on the iOS app for several years.
- This feature requires verification before you can open the Drive app, giving you an extra layer of security.
It’s not unheard of for Google’s apps on iOS to get features before their Android counterparts. Now, it looks like Google Drive on Android is finally getting a security feature that’s been available on the iOS app for several years.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
We dug into the most recent version of Google Drive for Android (version 2-24-467-3) and discovered numerous references to a Privacy Screen feature. “When Privacy Screen is turned on, you’ll be asked to verify it’s you when opening this app,” reads one of the strings seen below.
Code
<string name="aag_privacy_lock_auth_button_label">Verify it’s you</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_lock_logo_description">Google</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_lock_prompt_title">Verify it’s you</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_lock_title">Privacy Screen</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_settings_delay_list_title">Require authentication</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_settings_disclaimer_detail">Your shared data may still be available through internet browsers or other apps</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_settings_disclaimer_features">"Notifications Other system functionality"</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_settings_disclaimer_title">Privacy Screen may not protect:</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_settings_feature_switch_summary">When Privacy Screen is turned on, you’ll be asked to verify it’s you when opening this
app</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_settings_feature_switch_title">Privacy Screen</string>
<string name="aag_privacy_settings_title">Privacy Screen</string>Google Drive for iOS has had a Privacy Screen feature 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 feature to the Android version.
The feature isn’t perfect, as one of the strings suggests that your data might still be accessible via web browsers and other apps. Furthermore, Google noted at the time of Privacy Screen’s iOS release that it might not protect your Drive notifications, for one.
Nevertheless, this would be a long-overdue but welcome addition to Google Drive on Android. People host loads of sensitive files on Google’s cloud storage service. so this would give them an extra layer of security in the event that someone has their unlocked phone. This could also be useful if you frequently let your kids use your unlocked Android phone or tablet. Stock Android doesn’t offer app lock functionality, either, so building this feature into Google Drive would ensure that it’s available to all users.
