Google’s files app, now known as Files by Google – originally Files Go, is now rolling out a password-protected “Safe Folder.” The new privacy focused feature will help in ensuring your important documents, images, videos and audio files are kept safe even when you lend out your phone.
Google says the new added privacy feature in Files will help people “in many places around the world, [where]sharing a personal device with spouses, siblings or children is often a cultural expectation.”
The PIN-protection functionality instantly locks the secret folder as soon as you move away from the app. On top of that once inside the safe folder, you can’t a screenshot – similar to when you’re using Chrome’s incognito mode.
The company also hopes the feature helps everyone else be certain of the security of their most important files.
Files by Google, launched in 2017, has also hit a new milestone of 150 million monthly users. The app is part of Google’s Next Billion initiative and was introduced as a way to help Android users with lean phones, especially in developing countries, to free up space on their devices, manage content and share files.
To date, Files by Go frees about 12GB of space every second and has deleted over 1 trillion files of digital clutter.
Safe folder is currently available under the beta channel, but it will be available to more people over the “following weeks”.
