This great Good Lock module just got a major customizability update for One UI 8
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR Samsung has updated its One-Hand Operation Plus module with two new features.
The app now lets you have more than two sets of gesture handles, such as multiple sets on one side of the screen.
The app also lets you use the system back gesture while gesture handles are enabled.
Good Lock modules are easily one of the best reasons to get a Samsung phone, as these applications allow you to deeply customize various aspects of your device. One-Hand Operation Plus is one of the most popular modules, and it just got a notable update ahead of One UI 8's release.
The most notable addition is that you can now have more than two sets of gesture handles. The app currently lets you have one left handle and one right handle. However, this update means you can set multiple handles on each side of the screen. This could be handy if you use your phone in a different orientation (e.g. landscape) or if you simply want different controls in different areas of the screen.
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For the uninitiated, these gesture handles let you conduct one of three swipe gestures to initiate a variety of possible actions. For example, you can swipe in to go back, swipe diagonally in and up to activate notifications, and swipe diagonally in and down to activate the recent apps menu.
Thankfully, you don't need to wait for One UI 8 to get this updated handle system. I can confirm that the feature is working on my Galaxy S23 Ultra running One UI 7.
The updated One Hand Operations Plus module also offers a new System back gesture toggle. Enabling this toggle means you can still use the system back gesture outside your handle area. This addresses one pain point with the module, as you previously couldn't use the system back gesture on the same side of the screen that hosted a handle (i.e., no back gesture on the right side if the right handle was enabled). Unfortunately, the app changelog shows that this change is limited to One UI 8. Sure enough, we can see this option on our S25 Ultra running the One UI 8 beta but not on the S23 Ultra running stable One UI 7.
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
In any event, we're expecting more Good Lock modules to receive updates ahead of the stable One UI 8 release. Samsung's new software will debut with its upcoming foldables, which are tipped to arrive next month.
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The founders of its parent company, Proton AG, met while working at CERN in Switzerland, and the company remains under Swiss jurisdiction. Their first product, Proton Mail, went live in 2014 after a successful crowdfunding campaign, and claims to have 100 million users today. Proton VPN was Proton AG's second project. Like Proton Mail, it consists of a free plan supplemented by paid upgrades. Since then, Proton has introduced several more products: Proton Calendar in 2020, Proton Drive cloud storage in 2022 and the Proton Pass password manager in 2023, each designed around using end-to-end encryption to make user data inaccessible. Proton announced in 2024 that the majority of its shares had been acquired by the Proton Foundation, a nonprofit whose only purpose is to control Proton stock. Among other benefits, this prevents it from being purchased by anyone who disagrees with its mission. To sell to an objectionable parent company, the entire board of trustees would have to agree, which feels unlikely based on Proton's track record. Throughout Proton's history, we only found two incidents serious enough to comment on, and only one of them concerned Proton VPN. We'll cover them both below. On the page that hosts its annual transparency report, Proton states openly that it "may be legally compelled to disclose certain user information to Swiss authorities" (see the Privacy Policy section of this article for more on precisely what information that describes). In 2021, the company admitted it had given Swiss police (acting on a French warrant) a ProtonMail user's IP address and device logs. The police arrested the user, a French environmental activist. While that's unnerving for privacy-minded users, there are some important contextual issues to consider. Most importantly, ProtonMail is not governed by the same policy as Proton VPN. At the time the case unfolded, Swiss law obliged all email companies to comply with court orders from Swiss authorities to hand over data. VPNs aren't subject to those retention requirements. Today, Swiss email companies have been reclassified so they're also exempt from data retention requirements, thanks in part to a policy change Proton fought for. A representative from Proton confirmed that "under Swiss law, we are not obligated to save any user connection logs." It's also reassuring that, despite complying with the subpoena, Proton wasn't able to turn over the contents of any emails. In January 2025, researchers at Venak Security alleged that Proton VPN lacks memory protection for keys generated under the WireGuard protocol, which might let hackers scrape the keys and decrypt intercepted communications. Proton responded to Venak in a blog post, which a Proton representative confirmed remains their official response to the allegations. In short: the Venak article only demonstrates that it's possible to view public keys, not private ones. This isn't much of a bombshell, given that "public" is right there in the name. But asymmetric encryption — the kind used by VPN protocols like WireGuard — requires both keys to decrypt any messages. Even if a hacker were able to get ahold of a private key, they likely wouldn't be able to use it for anything. WireGuard incorporates perfect forward secrecy by default, changing session keys often enough that any given key is obsolete by the time it's stolen. In short, we're prepared to recommend Proton VPN to almost anybody. Whether you're mainly concerned with security, streaming or something else, chances are good that you'll be satisfied. The only serious downsides are that the long-term plans are overpriced and that it's hard to get live tech support if you live outside of Europe. It's also our unqualified pick for the best free VPN, but with the caveat that it's a bad choice for anyone who needs to choose specific server locations. If all you care about is staying hidden from your ISP and advertisers, Proton should be your first choice.
Android Authority
an hour ago
- Android Authority
Google tests new segmented Pixel Launcher search bar design in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is prepping another redesign for the Pixel Launcher's search bar. The new design is already live for some users in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta release. It features a smaller search bar with a round AI mode button to the right, like the recently released search bar home screen widget. Google has given the Pixel Launcher's search bar a new look in Android 16 QPR1 beta 2. It now resembles the updated search bar home screen widget that rolled out to some users last month, featuring a separate AI Mode shortcut on the right. User reports on Telegram and Reddit suggest that the Pixel Launcher's new search bar design is rolling out to users with the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta update, but it's not widely available yet. Instead of placing the AI Mode button within the search bar, as we showcased in a recent teardown, this new design shrinks the old search bar and places a round AI Mode button to the right. The smaller search bar and AI Mode button are encapsulated in a larger pill with a contrasting background. This Pixel Launcher search bar redesign brings it in line with the updated search bar home screen widget for a more cohesive look. However, Google has yet to implement this segmented design to the search bar at the top of the app drawer. The company could make further changes before the Android 16 QPR1 update hits the stable channel later this year, and we'll update this post as soon as we have additional details. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
