Samsung is cooking up a privacy and security powerhouse in One UI 8 (APK teardown)

Joe Maring / Android Authority

TL;DR Samsung seems to be developing a new “Alert Center” in One UI 8 to notify users about sneaky apps, security risks, and aging account settings.

Code strings describing “Alert Center” and its features were discovered in an internal One UI 8 build.

It’s unclear when Samsung will launch the new security hub, but it should be available in your phone’s Settings when and if it goes live.

Samsung seems to be going one step above Android’s built-in security and privacy status indicator, privacy dashboard, and Play Protect settings. We’ve inspected an internal One UI 8 build and uncovered strings revealing a brand-new feature called “Alert Center,” a kind of centralized hub for privacy and security alerts related to your device.

The feature, expected to be listed under Settings > Security and privacy alerts in One UI 8, will seemingly give you real-time suggestions and warnings to help keep your personal data and device safe.

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According to the code strings we discovered, the “Alert Center” in One UI 8 will support two types of alerts: Privacy alerts and Security alerts.

Code Copy Text Security and privacy alerts Suggestions and alerts will appear here to help you keep your phone and personal data safe < string name = "alert_center_info_privacy_alerts_description_one" >You'll be notified when apps use permissions to access your personal data frequently or in the background. You'll be given the opportunity to review the permissions and decide if you want to continue allowing them. < string name = "alert_center_info_security_alerts_description" > You'll be notified when security threats are detected on your phone. This may include malware apps that need to be uninstalled, settings you can change for stronger security, or actions you can take to keep your phone safe. < string name = "alert_center_info_description" > Security and privacy alerts provide useful suggestions and information to help you keep your phone and personal data safe.

Alert Center will notify you when apps access sensitive permissions like location, microphone, camera, contacts, and more, especially when they are accessed in the background or too frequently. This will remind you to review and revoke permissions from apps that may be overstepping their bounds.

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