Here's how Android P will address your security concerns
With the Android P Developers preview, Google introduced several new features including support for a 'notch' and editing screenshots on-the-fly, among other things. Further, with the security updates on Android P, Google has also looked to strengthen its infrastructure and make the OS less susceptible to vulnerabilities, while addressing the pressing concerns over data privacy and apps spying on users. Here are the details.
Android P won't let apps spy on you
Android P will now disable apps from accessing your camera and microphone and also prevent apps from abusing permissions given by the user. In case an app needs access, it will have to run a foreground process which will notify the user with an on-screen notification, all throughout the time the app accesses the camera or the microphone of the device.
Added verification process to protect your data backup
With Android P, Google has introduced client-side encryption to protect backup. Now, to restore backup data onto a device, a user will have to enter a unique passcode to gain access. With this verification process, encrypted backup won't be accessible to anyone, including Google itself, thus making the process more secure for the user.
Enhanced network security and encrypted connections for app traffic
Android P brings HTTP Secure encrypted connections to all app traffic. While this was available as an optional feature with Oreo also, Google has made it a default feature on Android P. Google has also given an option to generate a random MAC address which will change with every new network connection or upon reconnecting to an old network, thereby reducing tracking and stalking.
You control who sees your device's unique serial number
All Android devices come with a unique serial number known as the 'build.serial identifier'. This serial number is unique for every device and cannot be changed by any means. Earlier versions of Android OS allowed apps to access the device's unique serial number and store them in their own database. With Android P, no app can access that number unless the user grants permission.
One standard fingerprint-access UI for system and other apps
Without a doubt, using fingerprints as one's password is the most convenient and reliable way to unlock the device. However, fingerprint access lacks a standard user interface as every app uses its own interface and method. Now, with Android P, Google has addressed this issue by opting for a standard UI, irrespective of whether it's for the system or for an app.
You'd know when your app developer is not working
Every Android OS update gets its own set of new APIs which come with improved security and privacy. Thus, when developers fail to update apps to new APIs, they expose the users to some degree of risk. With Android P, Google overcomes this inconsistency by notifying the user when an application is running on an older API than what is available on the OS.
