TL;DR Google is introducing a native App Lock feature for Android Automotive that lets you secure specific apps behind a PIN.
Known as “sensitive app protection,” this feature allows you to lock third-party apps without blocking access to the rest of the infotainment system.
Because Google is releasing this as an unbundled app, it will be up to individual automakers to implement the feature in their vehicles.
Unlike your personal Android phone, cars running Google’s Android Automotive OS are shared spaces. While the OS supports individual, PIN-protected user profiles to keep data separate, it currently lacks a way to lock specific apps. This creates a privacy loophole: If you unlock your profile just to let a passenger play music, they also gain access to all your other apps. Fortunately, that is set to change, as Google is introducing a native App Lock feature to Android Automotive.
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According to the latest release notes for Android Automotive’s unbundled apps, Google is introducing a feature called ‘sensitive app protection.’ This allows users to secure specific apps behind a PIN that is distinct from the main system’s profile lock. For example, you could lock Chrome or WhatsApp to keep your browser history and messages private, even while the rest of the interface remains accessible to passengers.
However, due to how Google is releasing this as an ‘unbundled app’ — meaning it isn’t baked into the core OS — it is up to automakers to implement it. This approach mirrors Google’s standalone dashcam tool. And, like the dashcam, the code for sensitive app protection is open source, allowing us to inspect exactly how it works.
The underlying service is labeled ‘Sensitive App Lock,’ and it adds a new App Lock entry under Settings > Privacy. The system describes it simply: ‘Lock apps to stop other people opening them.’ Here’s a mock-up of what the App Lock setting should look like:
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