Android 15 started rolling out to Pixel devices Tuesday and will arrive, through various third-party efforts, on other Android devices at some point. There is always a bunch of little changes to discover in an Android release, whether by reading, poking around, or letting your phone show you 25 new things after it restarts.
In Android 15, some of the most notable involve making your device less appealing to snoops and thieves and more secure against the kids to whom you hand your phone to keep them quiet at dinner. There are also smart fixes for screen sharing, OTP codes, and cellular hacking prevention, but details about them are spread across Google’s own docs and blogs and various news site’s reports.
↫ Kevin Purdy at Ars Technica
It’s a welcome collection of changes and features to better align Android’ theft and personal privacy protection with how thieves steal phones in this day and age. I’m not sure I understand all of them, though – the Private Space, where you can drop applications to lock them behind an additional pin code, confuses me, since everyone can see it’s there. I assumed Private Space would also give people in vulnerable positions – victims of abuse, journalists, dissidents, etc. – the option to truly hide parts of their life to protect their safety, but it doesn’t seem to work that way.
Android 15 will also use “AI” to recognise when a device is yanked out of your hands and lock it instantly, which is a great use case for “AI” that actually benefits people. Of course, it will be even more useful once thieves are aware this feature exists, so that they won’t even try to steal your phone in the first place, but since this is Android, it’ll be a while before Android 15 makes its way to enough users for it to matter.
Private space does keep apps one selects hidden from view. But, that requires a separate Google account, according to what my Pixel 6a just told me when I was playing with Private space. Seems like a bit more trouble than it might be worth.
Private spaces is an AOSP feature. Meaning, when using any Android OS based on it (without the Google services) you don’t need a Google account – unlike stock.
Have tinkered with it on the GrapheneOS alphas and it is pretty awesome. Much like a secondary profile but without the hasle. Also, it does have a different encryption key ; so even after first unlock the private space is still secure.
> Android 15 will also use “AI” to recognise when a device is yanked out of your hands and lock it instantly, which is a great use case for “AI” that actually benefits people.
As if one needs “ai” for that. The tech world’s got a fancy new hammer and they’re imagining nails everywhere, it seems.
I think someone’s robbing your phone, hiding apps from abusive partners, hiding apps from the cops and not allowing kids to mess with some apps are completely different threat scenarios, at least two. I would love some easily available apps because I use my phone for navigating sometimes and I want to do quick changes at a red. Locking out ‘dangerous’ apps from kids like banks and other stuff that can seriously affect you is also useful. Hiding stuff from others is completely different.
Android 15’s new security and privacy features not only enhance the user experience but also provide peace of mind when using the device. This is an important step forward in protecting personal information and fighting cyber security threats. geometry dash meltdown
Absolutely! Android 15’s focus on security and privacy is a game-changer. With features like enhanced app permissions and more robust data encryption, users can feel more confident in how their information is handled. The new privacy dashboard offers a clear view of app activities, making it easier to manage what data is shared. These updates not only protect personal information but also empower users to take control of their digital lives. It’s great to see Android prioritizing security in such a meaningful way! What do you think of the new features?
source: https://www.osplabs.com