Android 17 QPR2 Beta adds a new built-in app lock feature

Closing the Gap Between Lock Screen and App Access

Passcodes and biometrics secure the lock screen, but what happens once someone gets past that has always been a separate problem. Android’s new app lock addresses this gap directly, preventing anyone from snooping through messages, making purchases, or altering settings within specific applications. That covers curious kids, friends borrowing your phone, or even a thief who manages to bypass the initial device lock.

The app lock feature is currently in testing and available only on Pixel devices running the Android 17 QPR2 beta 3 build. Google plans the full QPR2 release for December, with wider availability to other Android devices, including Samsung, expected around that time, assuming the feature survives to the final release.

Turning On App Lock

There are two ways to enable the feature, depending on what’s faster for you.

Through Settings:

1. Open your device’s Settings app
2. Scroll down and tap Security & Privacy
3. Locate the App Lock option and tap it
4. Select the specific apps you want to lock

Through the home screen:

1. Long-press the icon of the app you want to lock, either on your home screen or in the app drawer
2. Wait for the contextual menu to appear
3. Select Lock App or Require Face ID (or whichever biometric your device uses)

Once locked, accessing these apps requires your passcode or biometrics. The feature also disables notification previews for locked apps and blocks widgets or shortcuts from displaying any content tied to them.

The AI Access Caveat Worth Knowing

Google flags an important exception here. Any AI agents and services you’ve allowed can still access data from locked apps, which means a locked app isn’t fully isolated from every system process running in the background.

If you want complete data protection, you’ll need to manually review and remove those AI permissions yourself. That extra step ensures no AI service can quietly bypass the app lock to reach sensitive information sitting behind it. Users can find guidance on how to remove those permissions through system settings.

Android Catches Up to a Feature iOS Has Had Since 2024

This native app lock brings Android closer to iOS in terms of built-in privacy. Apple shipped its own app lock feature in iOS 18 back in 2024, well ahead of Google’s move.

Before this update, Android users had to rely on third-party apps or manufacturer-specific tools, like the ones found on OnePlus devices. Those solutions often lacked real security depth. Android 17’s standardized approach offers stronger, more consistent protection across the ecosystem instead of leaving it up to individual OEMs.