There is always some tension I see in people’s eyes when they give their smartphone to someone else. May be they have sensitive information that they would want the other party to see. There is no doubt that WhatsApp, Gmail, and the image gallery can all contain private content that you may want to keep to yourself. This is where Techjaja comes in — to show you how can protect sensitive information from prying eyes and still hand over your smartphone with app locks.
Samsung’s Secure Folder
This with Samsung smartphones, you have an inbuilt solution– you can store apps, pictures, and other files in a Secure Folder. This is shielded from your main account by a separate code. You can’t even access the data in the secure folder externally with a USB cable and a PC.
Using the Secure Folder does mean that you will need to completely setup WhatsApp or other apps again. Notifications are sent from the Secure Folder to your main profile. A luxurious settings menu makes it easy to set your desired privacy options. In return, you get protection at the system level, which makes it difficult even for resourceful spies.
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Huawei’s PrivateSpace
The Huawei EMUI user interface offers a similar feature to PriveSpace. In this case as well images, data and apps are isolated by the main user, but you don’t need to retrieve apps to put them there. Instead, you can create a second user on your Huawei smartphone. To start the protected area, you simply use a different finger on the lock screen than you use for the main profile.
Using lock apps for Android Smartphones
The Google Play Store or iOS App store are both packed with apps that can be used to block apps. The search term ‘app lock’ will deliver dozens of results. We chose an example that won’t require too many permissions from you.
Let’s start with a warning: app lock apps aren’t real protection against curious people if they’re clever enough! They are often not even able to completely hide the last viewed content in an app; the most recent messages can be quickly seen before the code entry appears.
Until the Android interface and the App Locker work better together on your smartphone, you are better off switching to a method that comes with Android’s factory software. These methods are presented above and others below.
App Lock from Keepsafe
Keepsafe doesn’t let you take screenshots on your smartphone, so we’ll have to explain our observations with text. First of all, I like the fact that the app doesn’t require any authorizations. The setup wizard asks for the type of lock: PIN, pattern, or fingerprint. You don’t have to register a fingerprint again since the app uses the fingerprint already stored in your Android phone. This builds trust because it means the app can’t send your fingerprint back to the app creators.
You need to provide your email address for security, but you can also skip this point. The app then sends you to the system settings, where you need to grant access to the data usage. Without it, the app can’t tell if it has been opened. You can then return to App Lock, where you can select apps to lock. Popular apps like Settings or WhatsApp are listed on top, and the rest follow alphabetically.
Android features for securing apps
Unlike apps, Android’s features work reliably. Unfortunately, they are not available to all smartphones. The following features were introduced with Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2014.
Screen lock
Maybe reverse logic is right for you: simply determine which app (singular!) other people may use. Thanks to the lock screen on Android 5.0 Lollipop, Android has mastered how this trick works. Simply pin the apps that can be opened without unlocking the screen.
Locked apps can be opened by simultaneously pressing the back key and the multitasking key on your smartphone. Then Android will ask for the screen lock pattern if you’ve set it that way. So in principle, all your apps are blocked, except the pinned ones.
Create a user or guest account
If the apps above aren’t reliable enough for you, you should use the operating system’s options. If the temporary user isn’t meant to use your main profile, you can quickly create a guest account or a second user account on your smartphone. You can do this through a button located above the quick settings on the top.
Simply create a new user. They will have their own account or no Google account at all. They’ll only be allowed to install apps from the PlayStore, and can’t make phone calls, send SMS messages, or access others’ data. This of course also includes your apps. If you set it up as a user and not as a guest, you can even regularly pass the phone to another person, who can store their data on it too.
