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@ JSR
2025-05-16 20:27:14
NEW: #Google's #Android 16 to feature optional high security mode. Cool.
Advanced Protection has a bunch of requested features that address the kinds of threats we worry about.
https://blossom.primal.net/f19388ad4282b6473df62c60cedd2c633ff3e3aba32cae33d8b4f03e1fb6e265.png
It's the kind of 'turn this one thing on if you face elevated risk' that we've been asking for from Google.
And likely reflects some learning after Google watched #Apple's Lockdown Mode play out.
Here are some thoughts:
SOME FEATURES IM EXCITED FOR:
The Intrusion Logging feature is interesting & is going to impose substantial cost on attackers trying to hide evidence of exploitation. Logs get e2ee encrypted into the cloud. This one is spicy.
The Offline Lock, Inactivity Reboot & USB protection will frustrate non-consensual attempts to physically grab device data.
Memory Tagging Extension is going to make a lot of attack & exploitation categories harder.
2G Network Protection & disabling Auto-connect to insecure networks are going to address categories of threat from things like IMSI catchers & hostile WiFi.
FEATURES IM ..MORE CAUTIOUSLY CURIOUS ABOUT
Spam & Scam detection: Google messages feature that suggests message content awareness and some kind of scanning.
https://blossom.primal.net/5b3a85ad8c678393c5e8c03f88902e25a994899776c15dc8a3517e2752235a17.png
Scam detection for Phone by Google is interesting & coming later. The way it is described suggests phone conversation awareness. This also addresses a different category of threat than the stuff above. I can see it addressing a whole category of bad things that regular users (& high risk ones too!) face. Will be curious how privacy is addressed or if this done purely locally.
FRICTION POINTS?
I see Google thinking some of thisC through, but I'm going to add a potential concern: what will users do when they encounter friction? Will they turn this off & forget to re-enable?
We've seen users turn off iOS Lockdown Mode when they run into friction for specific websites or, say, legacy WiFi.
They then forget to turn it back on. And stay vulnerable.
Bottom line: users disabling Apple's Lockdown Mode for a temporary thing & leaving it off because they forget to turn it on happens a lot. This is a serious % of users in my experience... And should be factored into design decisions for similar modes.
GIVE US A SNOOZE BUTTON
I feel like a good balance is a 'snooze button' or equivalent so that users can disable all/some features for a brief few minute period to do something they need to do, and then auto re-enable.
Yes, during that brief period there is vulnerability (and a potential social engineering target), but if the trade off is that the user likely just turns the whole thing off and forgets it..that is worse.
HIGH SECURITY & HIGH PARANOIA USERS
Some users, esp. those that migrated to security & privacy-focused Android distros because of because of the absence of such a feature are clear candidates for it...
But they may also voice privacy concerns around some of the screening features. And about the fact that the phone would need to be re-googled (think:Graphene which confers a lot of privacy by stripping out most google features)
Clear communication from the Google Security / Android team will be key here.
TAKEAWAYS
I'm excited to see how #Android Advanced Protection plays with high risk users' experiences.
I'm also super curious whether the spam/scam detection features may also be helpful to more vulnerable users (think: aging seniors)...
Google's blog: https://security.googleblog.com/2025/05/advanced-protection-mobile-devices.html