Easy methods to use the brand new Non-public House function in Android 15

Whereas there aren’t loads of new options in Android 15, it does supply some helpful additions to your cellphone — and one of the fascinating is known as “Non-public House.” Consider it as a separate app vault that locks away specified apps in your Android machine.

After all, the principle lockscreen already stops different individuals from accessing your cellphone, however Non-public House places an additional barrier in place. The concept is that in case you lend somebody your machine to make a name or have a look at a photograph, they gained’t unintentionally (or intentionally) stumble into one thing they shouldn’t. It’s additionally an additional security internet in case your cellphone is misplaced or stolen whereas it’s unlocked.

I attempted the function on a Pixel 8 cellphone working Android 15. Right here’s the way it works.

Now, everytime you need to go to your non-public house, simply scroll to the underside of the app drawer, faucet on the padlock icon, and authenticate (utilizing both a biometric methodology like fingerprint recognition, or a PIN).

You’ll be able to’t drag apps out and in of your non-public house — it’s important to set up them. Consider it virtually like a totally completely different Android machine. If you’re inside the house, faucet the Set up button so as to add new apps, and long-press on an app icon and select Uninstall to take away them.

You’ll be able to obtain notifications from apps within the non-public house, however solely when it’s unlocked. To make use of the identical instance as I used above, it’s successfully like a separate machine, and when the house is locked, it’s such as you’ve turned off that machine. For that reason, Google doesn’t suggest utilizing it to retailer apps that may must ship you crucial info. 

When you’ve unlocked your non-public house, it stays open on the app drawer till you lock it once more by way of the Lock button. You too can have the house lock routinely in sure conditions: this and different choices could be configured by tapping on the gear icon within the non-public house window.

Word that you may’t switch your non-public house to a brand new cellphone. The usual Android-to-Android setup course of gained’t embrace any non-public house apps. You’ll have to start out the non-public house once more from scratch, although you may sign up with the identical Google account you used for the non-public house on the older cellphone, which can restore your information in apps corresponding to Gmail and Google Hold.