Google Drive iOS App Gains Face ID and Passcode Protection Feature

[MacRumors]

In its latest update to Google Drive for iPhone and iPad, Google has added a new Privacy Screen feature that lets users enable Face ID or passcode authentication whenever the app is opened on their device, irrespective of the system's global security settings.

Similar features have been added to other third-party iOS apps containing particularly sensitive content, like password managers for instance. The idea is that even if you leave your device unlocked, anyone who tries to launch the Google Drive app still has to get past Face ID or Touch ID to gain access to your storage cloud-based files.

Google Drive includes options to activate Privacy Screen immediately whenever the app is opened or returned to upon switching to another app, or to delay the request for 10, seconds, one minute, or 10 minutes, depending on your threat model.

You can enable the feature in the app by tapping the hamburger icon in the top left corner of the screen and selecting Privacy Screen. Toggle the switch and the Delay options are revealed.

As noted by The Verge, Privacy Screen has limitations. On the settings screen, Google warns that it might not protect your Drive notifications, "certain" Siri functionality, files shared with the Files app, photos shared with the Photos app, and "other system functionality."

Google actually began talking about rolling out the feature back in April, but its implementation appears to have been delayed, and it's only just appeared in the latest update's release notes.

The Google Drive app for iPhone and iPad can be downloaded for free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Drive iOS App Gains Face ID and Passcode Protection Feature

 

[fokmik]

Very nice

 

[BvizioN]

This is what photos app should have. Plus other apps too. It should be an option for all apps to use Face ID.

 

[Agit21]

A welcomed feature.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Couldn’t you unlock google drive with Touch ID in the past?

 

[justperry]

So...now Google wants your face too...

/S


As another one says above, other Apps like photo's should have this too, or just a part of Photo's, like a protected section where you can put sensitive photo's.

 

[supazeezun]

So...now Google wants your face too...

/S


As another one says above, other Apps like photo's should have this too, or just a part of Photo's, like a protected section where you can put sensitive photo's.

onedrive has personal vault

 

[BvizioN]

So...now Google wants your face too...

No, it doesn't (as pretty as one could be)
Face ID is a security tool registered on your phone and your phone only (or iPad for that matter) and it does not share it with other platforms.

 

[nylonsteel]

ok fine with face id
but goog should have better method of emailing large files gmail direct vs download to goog drive
25mb attachment limit is dumb
cap should be 1gb
recently getting weird ad page when access to goog drive

 

[iDento]

Cool. I don’t need a dedicated app to lock photos now. I will not mix personal photos & google in the same world tho.

 

[justperry]

No, it doesn't (as pretty as one could be)
Face ID is a security tool registered on your phone and your phone only (or iPad for that matter) and it does not share it with other platforms.

You missed the sarcasm flag.?

 

[dewski]

This is worthless because it requires you to have touch id or a passcode enabled on your phone. I want to lock the google drive app without having a passcode on my phone.

 

[gmanist1000]

Couldn’t you unlock google drive with Touch ID in the past?

Yes in a very old version. They removed the functionality, and now it’s back.

 

[itsmilo]

This is what photos app should have. Plus other apps too. It should be an option for all apps to use Face ID.

there should be a system setting to toggle it on and off for any app installed

a „hidden“ folder called „hidden“ is pointless. Might as well call it „please snoop“

 

[clarkm]

I really wish dropbox free app had this.

 

[0924487]

I think Google eventually will enable S/MIME for all G Suite users, and optional domain-wise end-to-end encryption on a subset of Google Drive files via Google Drive File Stream for all G Suite users.

For free users, the lack of system administrators and PKI infrastructure makes the hierarchy of trust very difficult, because there is no hierarchy in the first place. If you ask Google to be your trust provider and administrator, then what's the point of end-to-end encryption? Google has the keys and CA rights.

 

[Tech198]

No-one left behind