Google Pixel users get a handy privacy feature with the latest Android 17 QPR2 beta. The update also includes a native app lock feature for the device that lets users lock a specific app with their device pin or fingerprint without needing to download a third-party app.
The feature is coming in Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3, with the build being released late last week to eligible Pixel devices. The update is still in active testing, but it’s one of the more notable releases of the QPR2 cycle, bringing a number of interface refinements as well as the new security tool.
When App Lock is enabled, users can long-press an application icon and select the new “app lock” option from the Actions menu. Now, the app you selected will ask you to authenticate with your fingerprint or your phone’s PIN before you can open it.
The feature has also been rolled out in system settings by Google. Go to Settings > Security & privacy > App lock to see which apps are locked, add more apps, or turn off the lock. When turned on, anyone wanting to open a locked app will have to enter your passcode or use biometric authentication, like Face ID-style face recognition or a fingerprint, to get in.
Android 17 goes beyond simple access control to minimize the exposure of sensitive information. Notifications of locked apps are hidden. Widgets and shortcuts associated with locked apps are automatically removed from the home screen. This makes it a particularly useful feature for messaging platforms, banking apps, and other services that handle private or financial data.
But Google has admitted one big drawback. If an app has already been granted access to AI services or system-level integrations, those permissions are still likely to work even with app lock enabled. Which means the feature is mainly meant to prevent unauthorized physical access, not to fully isolate app data from all background services.
The new built-in app lock also brings Android closer to feature parity with iOS, which added an app locking option natively in iOS 18 in 2024. Until now, Android users had to find workarounds like third-party tools or automation setups that would trigger a screen lock whenever a certain app was opened, making Google’s system-level approach a much-needed and more seamless solution.
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App Lock is especially interesting because it brings a long-standing Android ecosystem feature to Google’s own Pixel software. Stock Android has never had a unified, system-level solution, though many Android OEMs have had similar tools for years. With Android 17, Google seems to be closing that gap while beefing up its overall privacy framework. For Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners, this also is the end of the beta journey, as you’ll be able to officially leave the beta program when the stable release arrives in September and there won’t be any more beta updates for the series.
Android 17 itself continues to evolve as a security-focused release, adding protections against suspicious apps, improving device recovery tools, and refining permission controls. The QPR2 update is expected to be stable and released later this year, most likely December, but features can still be altered during the beta phase.
For Pixel users, the direction is obvious: Android 17 is progressively turning into a more privacy-aware platform. App Lock might seem like a small feature, but it’s a part of a bigger movement to empower users with greater control of their personal data, without third-party apps or complex security measures.
