Android 15 Gets 'Private Space,' Theft Detection, and AV1 Support (arstechnica.com) 36
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google's I/O conference is still happening, and while the big keynote was yesterday, major Android beta releases have apparently been downgraded to Day 2 of the show. Google really seems to want to be primarily an AI company now. Android already had some AI news yesterday, but now that the code-red requirements have been met, we have actual OS news. One of the big features in this release is "Private Space," which Google says is a place where users can "keep sensitive apps away from prying eyes, under an additional layer of authentication."
First, there's a new hidden-by-default portion of the app drawer that can hold these sensitive apps, and revealing that part of the app drawer requires a second round of lock-screen authentication, which can be different from the main phone lock screen. Just like "Work" apps, the apps in this section run on a separate profile. To the system, they are run by a separate "user" with separate data, which your non-private apps won't be able to see. Interestingly, Google says, "When private space is locked by the user, the profile is paused, i.e., the apps are no longer active," so apps in a locked Private Space won't be able to show notifications unless you go through the second lock screen.
Another new Android 15 feature is "Theft Detection Lock," though it's not in today's beta and will be out "later this year." The feature uses accelerometers and "Google AI" to "sense if someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike, or drive away with it." Any of those theft-like shock motions will make the phone auto-lock. Of course, Android's other great theft prevention feature is "being an Android phone." Android 12L added a desktop-like taskbar to the tablet UI, showing recent and favorite apps at the bottom of the screen, but it was only available on the home screen and recent apps. Third-party OEMs immediately realized that this bar should be on all the time and tweaked Android to allow it. In Android 15, an always-on taskbar will be a normal option, allowing for better multitasking on tablets and (presumably) open foldable phones. You can also save split-screen-view shortcuts to the taskbar now.
An Android 13 developer feature, predictive back, will finally be turned on by default. When performing the back gesture, this feature shows what screen will show up behind the current screen you're swiping away. This gives a smoother transition and a bit of a preview, allowing you to cancel the back gesture if you don't like where it's going. [...] Because this is a developer release, there are tons of under-the-hood changes. Google is a big fan of its own next-generation AV1 video codec, and AV1 support has arrived on various devices thanks to hardware decoding being embedded in many flagship SoCs. If you can't do hardware AV1 decoding, though, Android 15 has a solution for you: software AV1 decoding.
First, there's a new hidden-by-default portion of the app drawer that can hold these sensitive apps, and revealing that part of the app drawer requires a second round of lock-screen authentication, which can be different from the main phone lock screen. Just like "Work" apps, the apps in this section run on a separate profile. To the system, they are run by a separate "user" with separate data, which your non-private apps won't be able to see. Interestingly, Google says, "When private space is locked by the user, the profile is paused, i.e., the apps are no longer active," so apps in a locked Private Space won't be able to show notifications unless you go through the second lock screen.
Another new Android 15 feature is "Theft Detection Lock," though it's not in today's beta and will be out "later this year." The feature uses accelerometers and "Google AI" to "sense if someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike, or drive away with it." Any of those theft-like shock motions will make the phone auto-lock. Of course, Android's other great theft prevention feature is "being an Android phone." Android 12L added a desktop-like taskbar to the tablet UI, showing recent and favorite apps at the bottom of the screen, but it was only available on the home screen and recent apps. Third-party OEMs immediately realized that this bar should be on all the time and tweaked Android to allow it. In Android 15, an always-on taskbar will be a normal option, allowing for better multitasking on tablets and (presumably) open foldable phones. You can also save split-screen-view shortcuts to the taskbar now.
An Android 13 developer feature, predictive back, will finally be turned on by default. When performing the back gesture, this feature shows what screen will show up behind the current screen you're swiping away. This gives a smoother transition and a bit of a preview, allowing you to cancel the back gesture if you don't like where it's going. [...] Because this is a developer release, there are tons of under-the-hood changes. Google is a big fan of its own next-generation AV1 video codec, and AV1 support has arrived on various devices thanks to hardware decoding being embedded in many flagship SoCs. If you can't do hardware AV1 decoding, though, Android 15 has a solution for you: software AV1 decoding.
AV1 is not "Google's own" (Score:5, Informative)
While AV1 was partially developed as a successor to VP9, which is owned by Google, AV1 is developed openly by a consortium that includes Google, Amazon, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Netflix, Samsung, and Nvidia. It's already in wide use, if you watch Netflix on a device that runs Android TV, for instance, you're likely watching AV1 video.
Re: (Score:2)
Did you even read the summary? Google is a big fan of its own next-generation AV1 video codec"
Google wrote it's own AV1 codec. That is objectively a fact and a thing they did and they are incorporating it into Android. The fact that a consortium developed the specification for AV1 doesn't change that libaom is a 100% Google controlled project published by Google and maintained by Google. It's "its own next-generation AV1 video codec"
Just like e.g. Intel will claim SVT-AV1 is "its own next-generation AV1 vid
Not so much. (Score:2)
Anyone with an Android device (incl. yr. obt. svt.) is fooling themselves of they think anything on their device is kept private from Google.
It's part of the Faustian bargain that when everything is locked down, there's a window open with a breeze blowing in the direction of San Jose.
Google has been caught out on this before and gee, they feel really bad about it. "Now trust us. We won't invade your privacy. Not like last time."
Re: (Score:2)
So just like a work profile with Shelter today (Score:2)
"When private space is locked by the user, the profile is paused, i.e., the apps are no longer active," so apps in a locked Private Space won't be able to show notifications unless you go through the second lock screen.
I've been rocking exactly this on my Fairphone for years. How is this new?
Also, how much do you bet Google feels it has the right to see what your "private" space contains (for your own good of course) and helps itself to the data you keep there?
Re: (Score:3)
Google and apple have the ability to view anything on your phone, if they wish. Any privacy added is just from others, You may have good reason not to trust them but if you are concerned don't put on your phone unencrypted (I mean encrypt through some mechanism not on your phone) in the first place.
Theft Detection Lock (Score:3)
The feature uses accelerometers and "Google AI" to "sense if someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike, or drive away with it." Any of those theft-like shock motions will make the phone auto-lock.
How's it suppose to, "sense if someone snatches your phone from your hand"? What if you start jogging, or (foolishly) toss your phone to a friend, etc... Will moving fast with your own phone be a problem now? Can you enable an "I'm jogging" mode? What if someone steals your phone then? (I know, pedantic whinging...)
I get it that it supposedly will just lock your phone, but I don't really want "Google AI" monitoring my every physical movement -- or even want AI on my phone for that matter.
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It won't I assume, it will lock and you will have to unlock it.
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What if you start jogging
Presumably the motion you make when you start jogging is quite different to a sudden and jarring change in both position, velocity and acceleration.
You don't seem to appreciate just how much data we have. It's a lot more than "moving fast". Data on movement can be highly accurately correlated to very VERY specific things. E.g. my shitty fitness band can track a gait deviation and tilt in my hips when running just based on how I move my hand while jogging. - Fun fact, this was confirmed by my physio who ende
Re: (Score:2)
It seems like a reasonable trade off to have your phone accidentally lock when you set off on a sudden sprint, in exchange for having it lock if someone snatches it. You can turn it off if you regularly carry your phone while practicing your sprints.
Re: Theft Detection Lock (Score:2)
if this level of "AI" on user input disturbs you, just throw your phone away, since the keyboard is already doing it. hell if you have a phone from the past few years it probably even has some level of gaze tracking already⦠all of this is using sensors to measure human input.
theyâ(TM)re just calling it AI this time because AI is hot right now. freaking out about it is stupid; itâ(TM)s even dumber than being concerned about "privacy!"
why does google have ads about protecting your privac
Re: Theft Detection Lock (Score:2)
UNICODE MOTHERFUCKER do you speak IT
SAY â one more time
Android features (Score:2)
Dear google: can we get a setting to enable / disable any new features?
e.g. the *ing waste of electrons that is "discover" where you swipe right to see advertising, which is impossible to disable.
Re: (Score:2)
e.g. the *ing waste of electrons that is "discover" where you swipe right to see advertising, which is impossible to disable.
Thanks for complaining, it made me look up how to disable this feature that I also don't like.
https://www.guidingtech.com/ho... [guidingtech.com]
For me, the instructions weren't 100% correct but it did lead me to the right place. Summary for those who don't want to visit the site. Long press your home screen until a menu comes up, tap home settings. They then say toggle Google discover but I had to change "Swipe Access" to "Show nothing".
Re: (Score:2)
That solution does not work on all phones.
Re: (Score:2)
Dear google: can we get a setting to enable / disable any new features?
Sounds like me with Firefox, though I write it like this: "features". :-)
Hello "user.js" my old friend
...
I've come to edit you again
Because a feature softly creeping
Left its config while I was sleeping
-- "The Sound of Simplicity", Simon & Garfunkel
Second level protection (Score:3)
First, there's a new hidden-by-default portion of the app drawer that can hold these sensitive apps, and revealing that part of the app drawer requires a second round of lock-screen authentication, which can be different from the main phone lock screen.
How about just the ability to require a/another PIN (or other authentication) to launch an app? Some apps have that feature themselves (like 2FA apps), but it would be nice to have that built into the (stock Android) OS/launcher so it could be used with any app. That would be useful even w/o the extra the hiding / private spaces stuff, which seems like overkill for a lot of imagined uses.
Re: (Score:2)
It very likely already supports that, because it is built on the same tech as Work Profile which does. It's just a new UI that makes the existing feature easier to use. You can enable the same thing today with the open source Shelter app, which supports auth-on-launch.
Snarky summary (Score:3)
There was no cause for this insulting snarky statement to appear in the summary. It's a story about Android; it's highly likely that a majority of those who choose to read it are going to be fans of Android to one degree or another. Insulting in this way is childish.
Re: (Score:2)
As someone who doesn't buy into the Apple hype reality distortion, I don't consider this snarky but informative.
There's nothing informative about a stupid anecdote. There's no data here to benefit you. Phones get stolen. Most of them not returned regardless of what brand it is. If you're pleading with your thief that your phone is just an Android then it's very likely he will not only rob you, but laugh at you as well.
Re: (Score:1)
Phones get stolen. Most of them not returned regardless of what brand it is. If you're pleading with your thief that your phone is just an Android then it's very likely he will not only rob you, but laugh at you as well.
Thieves make a great effort to steal unlocked phones as that typically allows them access to financial/pay apps.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
There was no cause for this insulting snarky statement to appear in the summary. It's a story about Android; it's highly likely that a majority of those who choose to read it are going to be fans of Android to one degree or another. Insulting in this way is childish.
It's just because they're bitter that even with a 2 year head start, their phone still isn't as good as Android was ages ago.
Envy is such an ugly emotion.
Re: (Score:2)
Security enclave a security flaw (Score:3)
So no secret Facebook account or secret e-mail account. Remember push notifications, where all your meta-data goes through the one internet server. I doubt each profile uses different TLS (which would then inform all spyware of your secret account), so ordinary MiTM attacks (on that server) will reveal the secret accounts anyway: Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.
Secure filesystems have been around for a while and it's annoying to perform authentication (and possibly a second in-app authentication) every time one wants to copy data to a non-secure app. The alternative is installing most software inside the secure filesystem but then one spends most of the user-time there, so it's no longer locked and secret.
Genuine security requires TOTP, Access Control Lists and time-limits for each app, so one isn't repeatedly typing passwords. Otherwise, a secure filesystem is another point of failure as someone can observe you repeatedly moving in and out of the filesystem to discover your password.
sensitive apps using no power (Score:3)