GoKawiilAndy Walker / Android Authority
Smartphone makers are so busy chasing megapixels and zoom multipliers that they’ve lost sight of an important camera-related consideration: user security. While the push for crisper pixels has given us some brilliant technology and, as a result, incredible shots, we’ve been devoid of new privacy and security-related features in recent years.
What if I wanted to snap a shot of something sensitive, important, private, or laced with data that I don’t want accidentally uploaded to a server somewhere? This is where OEM camera apps fall short. I’ve done some digging, and no default camera app, not from Google, Samsung, or others, currently has a mode that allows me to hide such data immediately and securely. Yes, Private Space and Secure Folder are options to lock down data after capture, but they require me to move content into them rather than silo data within them immediately.
Thankfully, when there’s an Android problem, there’s almost always an open-source, third-party solution, and SnapSafe is the fix that neither Samsung nor Google cares to give its users.
Should major phone manufacturers integrate more privacy-focused features into their camera apps? 28 votes Yes, they're necessary! 71 % Maybe, but they're not a priority. 18 % No, I use other solutions if I want to secure my photos. 7 % I'm unsure or undecided. 4 %
A secure camera app within a secure folder
Andy Walker / Android Authority
I suppose you could ask, “Why are you so paranoid?” Well, I’m not, but sometimes I want or need to snap a photo of a document, a personal identification card, a picture with third parties in it whose identities I’d like to hide, or information I deem sensitive. We all find ourselves in this position at one point or another, right?
This could be a snap of a childhood photo of myself that I’d rather keep off Google Photos, a copy of my accommodation hosts’ personal details as a show of goodwill for their data, or a medical certificate that I want to keep a copy of but don’t want direct or immediate access to.
Andy Walker / Android Authority
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