Source: Android Central
What you need to know
- Facebook today announced new privacy features for Messenger.
- It's adding an App Lock, coming to Android customers in the coming months.
- Messenger will soon add its own advanced message controls, letting you choose what can land in your inbox.
Facebook will soon roll out a couple of privacy-enhancing features for Messenger on mobile. Aimed at putting privacy in the hands of users, these range from keeping your messages safe when handing your phone off physically to keeping your message inbox itself safe from unwanted contacts.
First, just like with WhatsApp, Facebook is adding App Lock to Messenger. Users will be able to password-protect their messages or even use a biometric lock to keep from prying eyes. Unfortunately, while that's coming to iOS users today Android users will have to wait an unspecified period of months until we do, probably before the end of the year.
In the future, Messenger will also add controls that let you control exactly who can message you and who gets shunted over to the message requests folder. As it stands, it's currently handled by Facebook automatically. This upcoming update is intended to give more choice to the user and unifies Messenger's privacy features with Instagram.
To recap, Instagram at the moment allows you to choose between everyone and the people you follow. While Facebook isn't as clear cut as Instagram as it uses a mix of following and friending, it's not hard to see how the system can be adapted.
Finally, Facebook will also be testing a feature that blurs messages when shared in a Message request from someone you don't know. It'll prevent people from harassing users by sending inappropriate or distressing photos.
Best Android Messaging Apps in 2020
Epic is right when it says Google has no incentive to woo iOS users away
Epic's lawyers aren't afraid of hyperbole, but they are 100% right when saying that Google and Apple are tied together. There really is no need to get iPhone users to switch to Android for Google to make mountains of money.
The new Gorilla Glass is bringing better photography to your next Galaxy
The newest version of Corning's Gorilla Glass DX is coming to smartphones cameras to help improve photography. Samsung will be the first to launch a product with the new glass, which could appear on its next Galaxy smartphones.
Android 12 kills font and icon shape options in Material You theming menus
Users aren't too happy about Android 12 removing certain style options, but Google may have had the final say on the matter.
Keep your wallet put away and pay with your Wear OS watch
Ready to start paying for your coffee with just your watch? Here are all the Wear OS devices that support Google Pay!