This is a game changer<\/p>\n
NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Republished on May 31 with news on One UI 8\u2019s release schedule, which brings the new kill switch and other security upgrades. <\/p>\n
Samsung is moving quickly to recover ground lost through its One UI 7 delays<\/a>. The Galaxy-maker has now confirmed that early access to the One UI 8 beta is now available, \u201ckicking off a new era of software intelligence<\/a>.\u201d What happens next is critical. How far will Samsung fall behind Pixel\u2019s unbeatable June release<\/a>?<\/p>\n But the advantage Samsung has this time is the relatively modest scale of One UI 8 versus the wholesale One UI 7 update that still has not completed its rollout. But literally hidden in amongst the various tweaks we know are coming is a brilliant update that could be a game-changer. \u201cThink of it as a kill switch for your private digital life.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s how Android Police<\/a> describes the new \u201cHide Secure Folder\u201d button that instantly disappears the folder\u2019s icon and apps. \u201cWhen hidden, \u2018apps and data stored in Secure Folder are encrypted.\u2019 All apps within the folder will stop working and you will not receive any notifications from them until you unhide and decrypt the Secure Folder.\u201d<\/p>\n ForbesGoogle\u2019s Surprise Update Just Made Your Pixel More Like iPhoneBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n This I really like. It is an OS-level deployment of the kind of personal security and privacy that\u2019s much needed when kids and others might browse through your phone, playing games or watching media or looking at photos. It also stops awkward notifications appearing when your phone might be on view to others.<\/p>\n Android Authority<\/a> has done its usual deep dive on the new upgrade, and says \u201cSecure Folder on One UI 8 is easier to use and safer than ever.\u201d This is especially welcome given the security vulnerabilities highlighted with Secure Folder<\/a> in recent months, and that Samsung has chosen to go a different way to Android\u2019s generic Private Space.<\/p>\n The other headline upgrade is forcing users to re-enrol their biometric security for Secure Folder, separating it into its own enclave. This means if you\u2019ve enrolled someone else\u2019s fingerprint for generic phone access \u2014 one of your kids or your partner, that does not mean they will have access to the personal Secure Folder which is hived off.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile your lock screen already helps keep the data on your phone safe from casual access,\u201d Android Authority says, this \u201coffers an extra layer of security, particularly handy if you know that other people are going to be using your device. You can move your most private data to its encrypted protection, and even hide its presence entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n Galaxy\u2019s new \u2018kill switch\u2019<\/p>\n Android Authority<\/p>\n That kill switch will grab the headlines though, \u201ca new Quick Settings button not just hides the Secure Folder without forcing you to did through settings menus, but also shuts down the apps you\u2019ve moved there and silences their notifications. Considering this is where Samsung encourages us to keep our most sensitive stuff, a super-quick way to just sweep it all under the rug feels like a completely on-brand addition.\u201d<\/p>\n This should completely change how you use Android and think about carving out data and apps that are for you and you alone. Once live, if this is a seamless and polished as promised, it\u2019s something other phones \u2014 including iPhone \u2014 should copy.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there\u2019s encouraging news for Samsung users who have just received One UI 7 and Android 15 after those long delays and will now be asking when One UI 8, Android 16 and the latest Secure Folder update will make it onto their phones.<\/p>\n