Google has made Android 15 available for Pixel devices. Android 15 promises new privacy features, security tools, and improvements for foldables and tablets.
One major new feature in Android 15 is the ability to make a “private space” for apps you might want to keep hidden from other people who have physical access to your phone (Google cites examples of social, dating, or banking apps.)
Apps segregated into that private space won’t show up in your recent apps, notifications, or settings, says Google.
To access that space, you’ll have to provide additional authentication, and you can even “hide the existence of private space from view on your phone.”
On foldables and tablets, Android 15 will let users pin and unpin the taskbar so they can access certain apps more easily.
The app pairing feature aids multitasking. For example, you can open Google Drive and Gmail at the same time to easily drag and drop files. Also, you can save frequently used app combinations and they’ll appear as a single app icon on your foldable or tablet.
One of the niftiest new features though is the Theft Detection Lock which lets your phone automatically lock itself if it detects (with the help of AI) that it has been stolen.
Google is also adding a feature called Remote Lock that lets you lock your phone using another Android phone, your phone number, and a “simple security check.”
Google has added authentication requirements for settings typically targeted by thieves, like removing your SIM or turning off Find My Device, and will lock down the device if it senses multiple failed attempts for apps and settings.
The company added that the new theft detection feature is not exclusive only to Android 15 devices, but will be available on “most” devices on Android 10 and newer.
Google is also starting to roll out a new Pixel feature drop for this month that includes Night Sight for Instagram for taking better low-light photos and more controls for Audio Magic Eraser.
Over the coming week, the company is reportedly adding a feature that lets users move media from a Pixel Tablet to a Pixel phone just by holding the devices next to each other.
