Android 17 is introducing a native app lock, a feature designed to give users greater control over who can access individual apps once someone has already unlocked the device. The functionality appeared in the Android 17 QPR2 beta 3 build released late last week, and it is currently undergoing testing on Pixel devices.
Biometrics and passcodes have long protected the lock screen, but Android has offered limited privacy options once a phone is unlocked and handed to a child, friend or picked up by a thief. The new tool aims to address that gap by securing specific apps behind an additional layer of authentication.
How the App Lock Works
The app lock functions as expected. Users can set it to lock an app, such as a social media platform, messaging service or photo archive. Anyone attempting to open that app must then provide the device passcode or biometrics, such as face recognition or a fingerprint. The feature also disables notifications for the locked app and prevents related widgets or shortcuts from appearing on the home screen.
These measures are intended to stop unauthorised users from snooping, making purchases, changing settings or accessing personal data. The feature is managed within Settings under Security & Privacy, where it can be enabled or disabled for several apps at once. It can also be switched on for a single app by long-pressing the app icon on the home screen or locating it in the app drawer.
Google notes that AI agents and services a user has allowed can still access data from a locked app. To shut an app down completely, those permissions must be removed manually.
Availability and Rollout
The app lock feature is currently available only on Pixel devices running QPR2 beta 3. Google is launching the full version of QPR2 in December 2026, at which point the feature is expected to reach more devices, including those from Samsung, assuming it makes the final release. Google sometimes tests features before removing them or holding them for later launches.
Android 17 has two major updates arriving in 2026, QPR1 in September and QPR2 in December.
Bringing Android in Line with iOS
The built-in app lock would place Android on par with iOS, which introduced its own app lock feature in iOS 18 in 2024. Before that, locking apps on iOS required awkward workarounds, such as creating an automation that triggered a screen lock when an app opened.
Android 17 QPR2’s implementation mirrors iOS 18, allowing users to lock an app by long-pressing its icon on the home screen and choosing to require face recognition to unlock it. Android users have been able to rely on privacy-based app locks for years through third-party apps or features built by individual manufacturers such as OnePlus, but these lacked robust security. The native app lock standardises the feature across Android devices.
