Usually, you don\u2019t want people poking around on your device. There are ways to stop this, including biometrics and passcodes, but Android users don\u2019t have many privacy options once someone \u2014 whether it\u2019s a kid, friend or thief \u2014 gets hold of their phone and gets past the lock screen. <\/p>\n
Android 17 is potentially changing that with the introduction of a native app lock.\u00a0The feature, spotted by 9to5Google<\/a>, was introduced with the Android 17 QPR2 beta 3 build released late last week. <\/p>\n The feature, currently in testing, functions as an app lock should. You set it to lock an app, like a social media or messaging platform or photos archive. Then, anyone who wants to get into that app needs your passcode or biometrics (like face ID or a fingerprint) to access it. The app lock also disables notifications for that app and prevents any widget or shortcut from popping up on your home screen.<\/p>\n These functions prevent unauthorized users from snooping, making purchases, changing settings or accessing your personal data.\u00a0<\/p>\n Android\u2019s app lock is managed in the settings under Security & Privacy, where you can enable or disable the feature for multiple apps at once. You can also enable it for one app at a time by long-pressing the specific app icon on your home screen, or locating it in the app drawer (menu). \u00a0<\/p>\n Google notes that \u201cAI agents and services you\u2019ve allowed\u201d can still access data from the app, so if you want the app to be completely shut down, you\u2019ll need to manually remove those permissions<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Currently, the app lock feature is available only on Pixel devices running QPR2 beta 3. Google is launching the full version of QPR2 in December, when the feature will likely be expanded to more devices \u2014 such as Samsung \u2014 assuming that it makes it to full release. Google is known for testing features and then removing them entirely or saving them for future launches. That doesn\u2019t seem likely in this case, but it\u2019s still possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n Improving the security of your phone<\/p>\n The new built-in app lock feature would put Android on even footing with iOS, which introduced its app lock feature in iOS 18 back in 2024<\/a>. It was possible to lock apps prior to this, but they required odd workarounds, such as creating an automation that triggered a screen lock when an app was opened.<\/p>\n Android 17 QPR2\u2019s implementation is similar to iOS 18, where you lock an app by long-pressing its icon on your home screen, giving you the option to \u201crequire face ID\u201d to unlock the app. \u00a0<\/p>\n