According to a report, Android 15 could come with a powerful new privacy feature that could help prevent users from leaking their personal information while sharing their screen. The next version of Google's smartphone operating system, which is expected to arrive in the second half of 2024, could dim certain parts of the screen, such as password fields or sensitive notifications, so that they are displayed when the screen sharing is on. Google may also allow users to disable these protections on their Android smartphone.
According to a report from Android Police, the latest version of Android 15 Beta 1.1 contains a new toggle in the developer options menu titled Turn off screen sharing protections. The toggle's description explains that the setting will disable system protections for “sensitive app content” when a user shares their screen in the future. Unfortunately, Google has not yet enabled the feature in the latest Android 15 beta.
The post also spotted a new API in the latest Android 15 beta that allows apps with custom virtual views, WebView, and Jetpack Compose to access a sensitive content protection feature. The feature could allow the operating system to block specific fields that display sensitive information, such as passwords or email addresses.
It's currently unclear how phones running Android 15 will determine which parts of the screen should be dimmed during a screen sharing session. However, the feature could also protect users from scammers who convince users to share their screens to access their passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs), or two-factor authentication codes.
The feature is disabled in Android 15 Beta 1.1, which means it can't be tested by users who flashed the first public beta on their Pixel phones. According to the report, it could be enabled in Android 15 Beta 2, or the company could unveil it at Google I/O in May before rolling out to beta testers.
