Android
Private space
Keep your sensitive apps from prying eyes
I led the design of Android Private space – a new privacy protection feature on Android launched at Google I/O. Android Private space gives users a separate compartment on their devices for installing apps they wish to keep to themselves.
Product
Android
Skills
Product design
Stakeholder management
Interactive prototyping
User research & testing
My role
Design lead
Timeline
Q2 2023 - Q2 2024
Collaborators
Deepak Mallya, Misa Gareau Rachel Burrows
Problem
Approximately one out of four users (28%) has unintentionally revealed information they wished to keep private while lending their phones to friends and family. While solutions exist on the market, they often fall short in fully concealing app presence, leaving potential leakage points.
Recognising this gap, we saw this as a massive opportunity to help users regain control of what their phone says about them.
Research
Getting individuals to discuss personal matters on their phones proved to be quite challenging. Who would've thought, right? In the early stages of the project, we interviewed and surveyed over 900 participants to understand their use-cases and struggles.
Common painpoints
Not feeling in-control while sharing
50% of leakages happen through unanticipated app notifications while sharing the phone.
Password sharing is common
Borrower sometimes knows their screen PIN, especially with users’ closest friends/ family – where consequence of revealing is generally high.
Ad-hoc device sharing
<50% of participants reported that borrowers never ask for their permission to borrow their phones, giving users virtually no time to prepare.
Solution
Android Private Space gives users a separate compartment on their devices for installing apps they wish to keep to themselves so they can feel more in-control and comfortable sharing their phone with others.
When private space is locked:
notifications_off
Private notifications are hidden
compare
Private files and photos are hidden
star
Private app suggestions are removed
history
Separate Google account used to protect download history etc
Our principle
Private by design
From the beginning, we insisted on users being able to use and access their private apps seamlessly when they need it, and hide them entirely swiftly. Turns out to thoroughly hide the entire footprint of an app from one's device is quite complex than we anticipated, as it spans across many system surfaces such as settings.
We paid meticulous attention to the footprint of apps across the whole operating system to minimise leakage from apps in private space – Going beyond just concealing app icons.
Lock Private space with a simple click.
In order to not draw suspicion from others, locking private space is natural and discrete. With just a press of the device's power button, users can quickly lock their private space, reducing the time required for preparation before lending their devices to others.
Hiding private space on your phone.
Now you see me, now you don't.
'Hang on… Isn't it kinda obvious to have a 'Private' section on your phone?' For those seeking a more heightened level of privacy, they have the option to hide their private spaces automatically when they are not using it.
An additional layer of security
Users have the option to set a different lock from their device lock. This ensures that even if someone borrowing the phone is aware of the device lock, they still won't be able to access private space.
Impact
Trust & safety for millions
Not many things are as surreal as seeing work being unveiled at Google I/O 2024. Private space will also be made available to OEMs to adopt, extending our reach to a wider user base.
You can read about the announcement here
