New leaks from the Canary build of Android 17 suggest that Google is actively working on how notifications for locked apps behave. According to a new report from Android Authority, notifications from apps protected by the operating system’s native app blocking feature will still appear, but without the key information.
For example, if someone has locked WhatsApp and there is a new message while your phone is sleeping, a new notification from the app should still appear on the device (either on the lock screen or as a bubble at the top of the screen), but the message and chat should not be visible.
A system-level approach to app lock in Android 17
In other words, the contents of the notification should remain hidden unless you unblock WhatsApp or another app. Although it’s not immediately clear whether the name of the blocked app is displayed, other OEMs provide the name and I believe Google could follow suit.
This builds on previous findings about Android 17’s native App Lock API and suggests that Google is finally (seriously) working on a system-level way to lock individual apps without installing third-party apps or custom launchers (the implementations of which vary widely depending on the device).
Once available, the feature should be deeply integrated into the Android operating system, allowing apps to be locked manually or automatically and requiring biometric authentication to unlock. Native App Lock should standardize privacy controls across the platform.
I imagine the feature will be useful for banking, messaging, or work-related apps that contain sensitive or private information. If you’ve ever given your stock Android or Pixel phone to someone for a second and immediately regretted it, Native App Lock is for you.
The App Lock API is still under development. Google has neither officially announced nor teased the feature. However, things are constantly evolving behind the doors. If the company continues to work on it at the same pace, Android 17 should have its own native app locking system at launch for Pixel smartphones and other OEMs that equip their phones with the standard version of the operating system.
