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Android Authority
a day ago
- Android Authority
Android might soon trust your smartwatch to help verify your identity (APK teardown)
Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Google may be working on smartwatch support for Android's Identity Check feature. A connected watch could serve as a second authentication factor outside trusted locations. The feature was spotted in the latest version of Google Play Services beta. Google recently introduced a feature called Identity Check on Android 15 and later devices, designed to add extra protection from phone theft when you're outside of predefined trusted locations. Now it looks like Google is working on an upgrade that could make the experience a little smoother — by allowing your smartwatch to play a role in verifying your identity. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. According to strings of code we spotted in version 25.29.31 of the Google Play Services beta, Identity Check may soon recognize a connected smartwatch as a kind of trust signal. They suggest that, if your watch is nearby and connected, your phone may treat that as a sign that you're still in control. This could potentially reduce how much you need to authenticate with biometrics while not in one of your safe spots. This wouldn't necessarily remove the need for your fingerprint or PIN entirely, but it could strike a better balance between convenience and security for users who already unlock their watch with a PIN and keep it strapped to their wrist. It's a small touch that could make Android's theft protection feel a bit less intrusive in everyday use. Here are the strings we noticed: Code Copy Text With your watch connected, Identity Check automatically recognizes you while maintaining your security even when you're not in a trusted location Protection on the move with watch As an in-progress feature, we don't yet know if this addition to Identity Check will eventually roll out in a public release or if it will work exactly as we have assumed here. With Android's security tools continuing to evolve, smartwatch security integration seems like a logical next step, as long as the mugger doesn't swipe your wearable at the same time as your phone. 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.
Android Authority
16-07-2025
- Android Authority
Samsung fixes the Secure Folder flaw that let anyone see what apps you're hiding
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung has patched a Secure Folder flaw that previously allowed anyone with physical access to see your hidden apps and photos. The vulnerability existed because Secure Folder was implemented as a 'work profile,' which key system components didn't recognize as a highly secure space. One UI 8 reclassifies Secure Folder as a 'private' profile, ensuring system apps now correctly hide its sensitive files and app information from view. Samsung's Secure Folder feature makes it easy to hide sensitive files and apps on your Galaxy device. It creates a separate, sandboxed profile where you can move your private content. This profile is then protected by a passcode, preventing unauthorized users from accessing what's inside. However, a flaw was discovered earlier this year that allowed anyone with physical access to your device to see which apps and photos you had stored in your Secure Folder. Fortunately, Samsung has patched this vulnerability in its latest One UI 8 release. Here's how the flaw worked and what Samsung did to fix it. You're reading an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. These reports reflect developments at the time of writing. Some features or details uncovered in leaks may change before official release. To understand the flaw, you first need to know about Android's 'profiles.' These are sandboxed spaces with their own app data separate from the main user, but they share the same lifecycle and some system-wide settings. The 'work profile' is the most well-known type, but there are some others. For instance, Android 14 introduced 'clone' profiles for running multiple instances of an app, while Android 15 added 'private' profiles to support Google's Private Space feature. When Samsung introduced Secure Folder back in 2017, the only option was to implement it as a 'work profile.' While this worked for the most part, it created a fundamental issue: some system components would incorrectly identify Secure Folder as a standard work profile. This was problematic because these components wouldn't treat it as the highly secure space it was intended to be, which could lead to them inadvertently revealing the sensitive information stored inside. You might wonder how it's possible for system components to leak Secure Folder data when Samsung controls the One UI operating system. The answer is that certain core components, like the Photo Picker and Permission Controller, are actually controlled by Google. Google designed these components to recognize and hide content within Android 15's new 'private' profiles (used for the Private Space feature). However, they weren't designed to afford the same protection to 'work' profiles. This is why the Photo Picker and Permission Controller could be used to see photos and reveal which apps were installed in the Secure Folder. Fortunately, One UI 8 fixes this by reclassifying Secure Folder as a 'private' profile. This change ensures that Google's Photo Picker and Permission Controller now recognize it as a protected space and properly hide its files and app information. It's important to note, however, that this protection is only active when you fully hide the Secure Folder, not just close it. Hiding the folder does more than just remove its icon from your app drawer; it also encrypts the data inside, which stops its apps from running and prevents them from sending notifications. One lingering issue, however, is that the updated Secure Folder still doesn't integrate with third-party launchers like Niagara Launcher. I was hopeful this would change, especially since Google enabled Private Space support for third-party launchers in Android 15, but it seems Samsung hasn't fully implemented the necessary APIs. Hopefully, this is something that can be addressed in a future One UI release. 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.
Android Authority
16-07-2025
- Android Authority
Google Drive could get seamlessly smarter about your PDF documents (APK teardown)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google is working on bringing automatic PDF summaries to Google Drive's PDF viewer on Android. The summary will appear at the top of the document pane without user interaction. Users can provide feedback on summaries and interact with Gemini for more answers. We've previously spotted that Google Drive on Android could soon serve PDF summaries through the PDF viewer. While the control given to users is excellent, there was potential to streamline the experience by automatically generating the AI summary for the uploaded PDF. We suspected the feature would come soon, as Google Drive on the web already supports automatic PDF summaries. We were on the right track, as Google is indeed working on bringing automatic PDF summaries to Google Drive on Android. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. Google Drive v2.25.280 includes code for automatically generating summaries of uploaded PDF files. We managed to activate the feature to give you an early look: AssembleDebug / Android Authority In future versions of Google Drive, users will not have to click the 'Summarize this file' button when viewing a PDF to get its summary. As you can see in the first screenshots, the summary will automatically be presented at the top of the preview pane. Users will be able to like and dislike the summary to give feedback on the AI's performance, and they will likely be able to tap on the 'Ask Gemini' button to open the usual Gemini bottom sheet, where they can ask more questions around the PDF. Note that the summary currently visible is placeholder text, as the feature isn't fully functional just yet. We expect Google to fix the issue whenever they roll out the feature to end users. 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.
Android Authority
01-07-2025
- Android Authority
Here's a first look at the Google Personal Safety app's Expressive redesign (APK teardown)
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR An Android Authority teardown has revealed plenty of visual changes coming to the Personal Safety app. These changes are in line with Google's Material 3 Expressive design language and cover the emergency contacts menus. This redesign will likely be exclusive to Android 16 QPR1 for now. Google's Personal Safety app is a one-stop shop for emergencies, allowing you to quickly get help, record video, and much more. Now, it looks like Google is bringing some changes to the app in line with its Material 3 Expressive visual style. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. We dug into a recent version of the Personal Safety app for Android (version 2025.06.12.772866699.3-release) and discovered that it's getting plenty of visual changes. These changes specifically apply to the emergency contacts menus. Check out the screenshots below. Current Current Current New New New There are quite a few Material 3 Expressive changes here, such as bold headers, info fields encased in a white box with dividing lines between each field, and redesigned toggles showing an X or tick. The Add contact option has also changed from a text-based field to a pill-shaped green button. Another notable change, seen in the final screenshot, is that Google will offer a three-dot button for each contact. Tapping this button lets you quickly remove or reorder a contact. By contrast, the current UI gives you an 'X' icon next to each contact so you can quickly remove them. However, reordering your contacts requires you to tap the Reorder button at the top of the page, which then opens a new screen altogether. So the new UI might not be as convenient for removing contacts, but it seems more seamless for reordering them. It's worth noting that this Expressive design will likely be exclusive to Android 16 QPR1, at least for now. That's because this Emergency Contacts functionality is also integrated into the core Android settings via the Safety and Emergency section, and Google is updating this section for Android 16 QPR1. Nevertheless, this would be the latest Google app to get a fresh coat of paint ahead of Android 16 QPR1. These visual changes have already started rolling out to Chrome, Google Messages, the Phone app, and more. 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.
Android Authority
27-06-2025
- Android Authority
Google Drive could soon help you decode documents faster (APK teardown)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google Drive on Android is working on introducing Gemini-based PDF summary capabilities, similar to those found on Drive on the web. Users will soon be able to access PDF summaries directly within the PDF viewer via a three-dot menu or header icon. The app is also working on multi-file and limited folder summarization features that allow content across various Docs and PDFs to be summarized simultaneously. Google Drive has received many Gemini-related features over the past months. However, many of these features first come to Google Drive on the Web before making their way over to the Android app. We've now spotted that Google Drive on Android could soon serve PDF summaries through the PDF viewer. Further, the ability to summarize files through the file viewer window will also support selecting multiple files to summarize them together. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. Google Drive on the Web already serves automatic PDF summaries. Now, Google Drive v2.25.250 for Android includes code for PDF summarization through Gemini. We managed to activate the feature ahead of its release to give you an early look: In the near future, users will likely be able to summarize PDFs that are either stored in their Google Drive or received through Google Drive. For this, they won't need to exit the PDF viewer and ask Gemini within Drive to summarize the file — instead, they will be able to trigger Gemini from within the PDF viewer. Users will be able to click on the three-dot icon on the top right and choose the Summarize this file option. They can also tap the Gemini icon in the header and type in their request to summarize the PDF. Note that this feature is unlikely to work with offline PDFs that you are opening through Google Drive's PDF viewer, so don't try summarizing downloaded files. Your best bet would be to keep the PDF files on Drive to get a summary. Unfortunately, these PDF summaries are not automatically displayed yet, as they are on the web. However, this won't be a big deal, as you will be able to manually initiate a summary for any PDF you need summarized. We've previously spotted Google Drive also working on allowing users to summarize any folder from the file viewer window. We then spotted the app working on letting users summarize individual PDF and Doc files too. In addition to all of this, the file summarization feature will also make it easier for users to summarize multiple files and folders. Selecting multiple files will be very easy, as users will likely be able to select multiple PDFs and Docs by long-pressing them. We managed to activate the feature ahead of its release for an early look: Users will also be able to select a folder along with the files, but they may be restricted to selecting only one folder. We couldn't get the process to work when multiple folders were selected, as you can see in the last screenshot above, where the Gemini icon no longer stays highlighted. Thankfully, there seems to be no limit to how many PDFs and Docs you can select, which should easily serve most needs. 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.
