Latest news with #PrivateSpace
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Google is finally making it easier to add files to Private Space
While Android OEMs have offered the ability to hide or store files and apps in a private, hidden space for years, Google Pixel devices only recently gained this feature with the introduction of Private Space in Android 15. Though Android 16 didn't bring major upgrades to Private Space, one feature users have consistently requested since its debut is the ability to easily hide files within it. While installing apps into Private Space is simple, transferring files from your phone's file manager remains a hassle. Thankfully, it looks like that's about to change. According to Android expert Mishaal Rahman (via Android Authority), Google is working on a new file transfer feature for Private Space. In the latest Android Canary build, Google has reportedly tweaked how Private Space behaves. Previously, when opened in the Pixel Launcher, Private Space just showed an "Install" button at the top. However, in the new Android Canary build, this has now been replaced with a new "Add" button. Hiding files on your Pixel is about to get a lot easier Tapping the "Add" button opens a sub-menu that gives you the option to either "Install apps" or "Add files". Selecting the file option opens the Files by Google app, allowing you to choose the files you want to move to Private Space. A dialog box will let you choose whether to move or copy them. According to the report, the feature will support up to 2GB of files or 100 files per transfer. The feature isn't live just yet and likely won't be included in the Android 16 QPR1 update expected alongside the Pixel 10 series launch next month. Instead, Rahman suggests it could arrive with Android 16 QPR2, which is expected to roll out sometime after QPR1's stable release.
Android Authority
04-08-2025
- Android Authority
Google is making it easier to hide sensitive files in your Pixel's Private Space
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Google is making it simpler to move sensitive files into Private Space, the built-in feature on Pixel devices for hiding apps and data. While the tool has always made it straightforward to add apps to the profile, adding files has been less intuitive. An upcoming update adds a new 'Add files' option that lets you directly copy or move files from your main profile into the Private Space. If you want to hide apps, files, and folders on your Android device, there's no shortage of options available. Many Android devices have built-in tools for hiding apps and files, saving you from having to find trustworthy third-party solutions. Pixel devices, for example, feature Private Space, a tool that lets you hide apps in a separate, private user profile. While moving apps into this space is straightforward, migrating sensitive files is less intuitive. Fortunately, Google is about to make it much simpler to copy or move your files into the Private Space. Google introduced Private Space in the stable release of Android 15 last year. The feature creates a new user profile with its own separate storage for apps and files. Adding apps is simple: a large 'Install' button within the Private Space launches its dedicated Google Play Store, making the process straightforward. Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Adding files, however, is more complicated. One method is to download them from an app already inside the Private Space, which might confuse people who don't understand the compartmentalized nature of Android profiles. The other method involves using the share menu from an app in your main profile, selecting the 'Private' tab, and then choosing 'Files by Google.' Not only is this option less discoverable, but it also only copies files, requiring you to manually delete the originals to actually hide them. To solve this, Google is adding a new file transfer feature to Private Space. In the latest Android Canary release, the 'Install' button has been replaced with an 'Add' button. Tapping it now opens a menu with two options: 'Install apps,' which launches the dedicated Play Store as before, and 'Add files,' which opens the Files by Google app. From there, you can switch to the 'Personal' tab to see files from your main profile and select what you want to transfer. A new dialog gives you the option to either copy or move them. For transfers that take more than a few seconds, a progress notification will appear. Digging deeper, we learned there are some limitations: you can only transfer up to 100 files or 2GB of data at a time. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Private Space's new file transfer feature isn't in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, so it probably won't arrive in next month's stable release. Instead, we may have to wait for the following quarterly update, Android 16 QPR2, for the feature to go live. Follow
Android Authority
06-05-2025
- Android Authority
One UI 8 might finally fix Secure Folder's biggest security flaws
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung's Secure Folder feature currently exposes apps and media by over-relying on Android's Work profile. A new leak shows that One UI 8 will likely adopt Android's Private Space API to fix this flaw. With the upcoming update, apps in Secure Folder will no longer work or send notifications when hidden, fixing another flaw. Samsung Secure Folder is an in-built solution on Galaxy phones and tablets that lets users hide apps and files from prying eyes. While the feature locks these apps and files in a new profile and protects them with a screen lock, a flaw in Secure Folder allows anyone to see which apps and photos you have. Samsung didn't publicly take cognizance of the flaw, so it was anyone's guess if the company was working on a fix. A new leak suggests Samsung could fix the issues with Secure Folder with One UI 8. Apps and photos are visible outside of Secure Folder primarily because of the way it works. Samsung creates a Work profile for Secure Folder, which is just a distinct profile from the default personal profile. While the data is containerized, specific components like the Android photo picker and Permission Controller can still see the contents within this Work profile, and end up exposing it in certain situations. Google has its own version of the Secure Folder, which was introduced with Android 15 as Private Space. This is a different 'Private' user profile, which the Android photo picker and Permission Controller treat differently. When this private profile is locked, it is subsequently hidden from the Android photo picker, the Permission Controller, and other system surfaces. How could Samsung fix Secure Folder? One potential way is to adopt the Private Space approach. It seems Samsung is doing just that, as DevOfIpos on X says that Secure Folder on One UI 8 uses the Private Space API instead of the work profile. As per the description that appears when hiding the Secure Folder, apps within the Secure Folder won't work and won't send any notifications while the Secure Folder is hidden. This does add a layer of friction when accessing content stored within the Secure Folder, but it should also fix instances of hidden apps sending you notifications and leaking your stored media. There's currently no word on when One UI 8 will be released. Given that Android 16's stable release is right around the corner, we hope for more news soon. However, One UI 7's delayed rollout has left a bad taste in our mouths, so we aren't holding our breath for a quick One UI 8 rollout. 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.
