Cool Android 15 features include Private Space and Theft Detection Lock
Google announced today several new features to Android 15 including one that keeps prying eyes away from your phone screen. Called Private Space, it's like having a digital safe on your phone where you can hide apps you have installed on your device that you don't want anyone to see. Think about how nice it would be to hide away your banking or securities apps allowing them to be seen by your eyes only. Private Space is coming to Android 15 later this year. To enter the Private Space, a user will use his fingerprint to verify his ID.
A user will need to verify his identity to enter his Private Space
Another new feature coming to Android 15 later this year is the Theft Detection Lock and it uses AI to detect whether your phone has been grabbed out of your hand by a thief who is running away on foot, via a car, or a bicycle. If the actions of a theft are detected by the feature, your phone will quickly be locked down preventing your personal info from ending up (along with your money) in the wrong hands.
The Theft Detection Lock locks down your phone if its theft has been detected
A phishing attack is so hard to defend because users' emotions come into play when they receive an email or text that says, for example, that their electricity is being turned off. An expert "phisher" can make it look as though such a text came directly from the electric company. Later this year, Google Play Protect will use on-device AI to spot in real-time apps that could engage in fraud and phishing by analyzing how apps use sensitive permissions and interact with other apps. If an app appears to be malicious, Google will review it, warn users, and disable the app if such actions are warranted.
Google Play Protect uses AI to find malicious apps
Other new features will allow Android 15 users to use pictures to add new cards to their Google Wallet. Photos of event tickets, library cards, auto insurance cards, gym membership cards and more will soon be turned into digital versions of the cards in Google Wallet. This feature will soon be available in the U.S.
Take a photo of certain cards to add them digitally to the Google Wallet app
AR content is coming to Google Maps (via Lens in Maps) and Street View. Search for a location in Google Maps and if you see a badge that says "AR Experience," tap on it to learn about this location in a more immersive way.
AR content is coming to Google Maps
Fast Pair will help you connect your Android devices with accessories. It will also track the battery of the accessory being connected and later this month, with the new Find My Device feature, you'll be able to use Bluetooth tracker tags from Chipolo and Pebblebee to spot your missing keys, luggage, and wallet using the Find My Device app.
Thanks to new Wear OS devices launched last year, the user base of the OS grew 40% in 2023. New Wear OS watches made by OnePlus, OPPO, and Xiaomi, are coming and watches running Wear OS 5 will see battery optimizations that will reduce the battery consumption of a marathon runner by as much as 20% compared to watches running Wear OS 4. The update will also add more metrics when tracking fitness exercises including ground contact time, stride length, and vertical oscillation.
The second beta version of Android 15 was released today and the stable version of the update should arrive in October.
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