- The latest Android 16 beta has added an API that lets apps check if the user has enrolled in Advanced Protection.
- Advanced Protection is an enhanced security mode that beefs up account security, blocks sideloading, and more.
- The new API will let apps make Advanced Protection even more secure by tacking on their own security restrictions.
A good way to protect your online data is to lock down your accounts as much as possible, but if you aren’t content with just enabling two-factor authentication and calling it a day, then you’ll have to deal with a hodgepodge of settings. Not every app and service offers the same security features, and even if they do, you’ll have to dig through their settings interfaces to find them. That can be annoying and confusing, so to help solve that, Google is working on a new feature for Android 16 called Advanced Protection that can activate comprehensive protection with a single click.
Android 16’s Advanced Protection mode builds upon Google’s Advanced Protection Program, which was introduced in 2017 to provide an extra layer of security for people at high risk of being hacked. The program adds rigor to security by requiring the use of a security key or passkey to sign into a Google account, blocks potentially harmful files from being downloaded, and disables installing apps from outside the Google Play Store. Android 16 adds to these protections by also disabling 2G connectivity and enabling MTE (a feature that helps apps detect memory-related vulnerabilities) for apps that support it, providing even stronger protection for enrolled users.