Android 15 is being developed at Google headquarters, and there are a lot of changes to look forward to. But in my opinion, the best part of future Android updates isn't some flashy new feature: Instead, I'm most excited about these new security features that should make everyone's Android phone safer.
private space
Private Spaces is a new security feature in Android 15 that lets you hide apps containing sensitive information from view on your Home screen or app drawer. Here's an awesome change: Whether you hand your unlocked phone to a friend, or someone cracks your PIN and snoops into your apps, any program you assign to your private space will be hidden.
This is a good idea for financial apps, such as banking and money transfer apps, as well as apps that contain private information. Maybe you want to keep certain messaging apps out of sight, or a specific file app on a public screen.
Even better, notifications for apps you place in your private space are also hidden. This way, if the messaging app is in a private space, no one will see someone messaging you, nor will they see any alerts from your bank.
By default, Private Space is located at the bottom of the app drawer, but you can also choose to hide it entirely. Either way, you can set a new PIN for your private space that is separate from your phone password. This way, even if someone hacks into your Android, they won't know the PIN of the private space and all the apps in it will be protected.
Anti-theft lock
I have to say, Google has really upped the ante with theft-detection locks: The feature can detect when someone takes your Android device from your hands and runs, bikes, or drives away with it. In fact, Google worked to find every "common theft-related action" in order to build this feeling into Android.
Once your Android device detects theft, it immediately locks itself. In most cases, thieves need your Android device to be unlocked in order to access the phone and its data. Unless they're cunning enough to discover your PIN before taking the phone away, a locked phone is essentially useless.
If a thief does manage to take your phone without being noticed, Android is offering a few other tools this year: Anti-theft protection may kick in and lock the phone if the thief disconnects it from the internet. The phone will also lock if they fail to enter your PIN multiple times while trying to access sensitive settings.
This isn't exclusive to Android 15 either: you can access it as long as you're running Android 10 or higher.
Authentication lock, similar to Apple
Google added one of Apple's best security features to Android this year: Authentication Lock. This security measure ensures that even if a thief is able to force a factory reset on your stolen Android device, they won't be able to proceed with setup without providing the credentials of the Google account connected to the device. (BTW, now that Android has Authentication Lock, common scams targeting stolen phones and devices may increase. Don’t fall for it.)
Apple's additional security measures
Google is also adding another great Apple security feature to Android: When you disable Find My Device or extend the time before your screen automatically locks, Android will require your phone's passcode or biometric authentication to continue. . Additionally, Enhanced Authentication requires biometric authentication when you try to change Key Settings on your Google Account or device. This includes changing your PIN, disabling anti-theft protection, or trying to access your keys from a new location.
It's similar to Apple's Stolen Device Protection, which requires a Face ID or Touch ID scan when accessing certain sensitive settings.
Remote lock in Find My Device
Let's say your phone is stolen and you forget your Google account password and can't lock your phone via Find My Device. Google's new remote lock feature lets you lock your phone by providing your phone number and authenticating yourself on another trusted device. If you want to make sure no one has access to your phone data, you can remotely reset your phone from here. This feature will be available on Android 10 and higher later this year.
