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Google has just rolled out the second beta for Android 13 QPR3, slated to release in June. While the update might not bring a slew of new features and enhancements, it will focus on fixing bugs and improving stability. However, some features will still enhance the overall user experience. According to XDA Developers, Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2 comes with a feature dubbed enhanced PIN privacy. Most of these features will also be making their way to devices from other OEMs with the next major release, Android 14.
Preventing your PIN from ending in the hands of people with nefarious intentions
The report suggests the new “enhanced PIN privacy” feature is present under Settings > Security & privacy > Device lock. The toggle will disable animations when you enter the PIN. With this modification, the Android lock won’t show any obvious visual clues for the keypad inputs, thwarting shoulder surfers from taking a peek into your PIN.
Shoulder surfing is among the most common social engineering attacks to gain access to a person’s phone. As per a Wall Street Journal report, shoulders surfers are capable of gaining full access to a person’s Google or Apple account just by observing their phone’s PIN. This is particularly easy to pull off on people who tend to enter their PINs in public places. With the upcoming feature, Google aims to increase the difficulty of their attempts to get hold of a person’s PIN and Google Account.
More lock screen improvements coming to Android 14
Android 14 will not only introduce enhanced PIN privacy but also bring along a new lock screen-related enhancement called “auto-confirm correct PIN.” This feature will enable you to bypass tapping the “Enter” button to unlock the device.
Unlike the new enhanced PIN security feature found in Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2, this feature is yet to make its way to the users. The feature is believed to debut in the next Android 14 preview release, which is expected to be rolled out in April as Android 14 Beta 1.
Besides, Android 14 is also expected to introduce some handy features, such as Flash notifications. The feature is said to replace a notification LED light. If you choose the ‘Screen flash notifications,’ your phone’s screen will flash briefly in your selected color. There are 12 colors that you can choose from. While LED flash notifications aren’t new, screen flash notifications could make for a more engaging user experience. Fused with more granular settings, such as allowing different colors for different apps, it can be a pretty useful feature.
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