TL;DR
- Google is introducing a native App Lock feature for Android Automotive that lets you secure specific apps behind a PIN.
- Known as “sensitive app protection,” this feature allows you to lock third-party apps without blocking access to the rest of the infotainment system.
- Because Google is releasing this as an unbundled app, it will be up to individual automakers to implement the feature in their vehicles.
Unlike your personal Android phone, cars running Google’s Android Automotive OS are shared spaces. While the OS supports individual, PIN-protected user profiles to keep data separate, it currently lacks a way to lock specific apps. This creates a privacy loophole: If you unlock your profile just to let a passenger play music, they also gain access to all your other apps. Fortunately, that is set to change, as Google is introducing a native App Lock feature to Android Automotive.
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