Samsung’s One UI 9.5 is poised to introduce a highly anticipated app lock feature, a functionality that has long been a staple in the Android ecosystem. This development, revealed by tipster Fahad Ali Javed, promises to enhance user privacy by allowing individuals to secure their applications behind a PIN or biometric authentication.
Details of the App Lock Feature
According to leaked screenshots, users can easily activate the app lock by pressing and holding the desired app icon within the app drawer, where a padlock icon will appear for selection. This intuitive design echoes the recent app lock feature seen in Android Canary, suggesting a strategic alignment between the two platforms.
One of the screenshots further clarifies that accessing a locked app will still be possible through biometric verification or the device’s screen lock. Notably, once an app is locked, its widgets and shortcuts will be removed from the home screen, and any notifications related to the app will be concealed. However, content from locked apps, such as photos and contacts, will remain accessible to other applications that have prior permissions.
While Samsung devices currently offer the Secure Folder feature, which allows users to hide apps behind a PIN or biometric scan, it does come with its limitations. The Secure Folder creates a cloned version of the app, leaving the original accessible in the app drawer without any security measures. The introduction of a native app lock feature would streamline access to secured applications, offering a more user-friendly experience.
This announcement comes shortly after the Android Canary 2608 release, which also integrated app lock functionality, hinting at a possible influence on Samsung’s development. The similarities in restrictions regarding widgets, shortcuts, notifications, and content access between the two features suggest that Samsung may be leveraging existing technology rather than developing a completely new solution from the ground up.
