What is the Android security & privacy hub? The new Android 13 feature explained
Google announced new functionality for Android 13 devices at its Pixel 7 launch event in October 2022 dubbed the Android security & privacy hub, but what exactly is it and when will it be available for smartphones? We’ve got all the answers right here.
In a bid to improve smartphone security and privacy on Android smartphones, the new security & privacy hub is designed to bring all the key features under one roof, rather than having them scattered across the app – as has been the case until now.
The good news is that it’s available for Pixel devices running Android 13 now, but other Android smartphones? Well… it’s good news and bad news. Here’s all you need to know about Google’s new Android security & privacy hub.
What is the Android security & privacy hub?
Google has created the Android security & privacy hub to simplify the management of privacy and security settings on your smartphone. Instead of having separate pages for security and privacy, all the important features are now consolidated into a single handy menu within the Settings app.
This new hub also brings together various features such as App Security, Find My Device, Device Lock, Google Play system updates, and more.
But that’s not all; the new also hub includes action cards that notify you about any safety risks you might face, as well as provide suggestions to enhance your online security.
It’s a useful update that will undoubtedly help Android users stay in control of their smartphone’s privacy and security. The question now is, which phones are compatible with this new hub?
Which phones can access the Android security & privacy hub?
As a feature announced at the launch of the Pixel 7 range, it should come as no surprise that it’s a Pixel smartphone feature – initially, anyway.
Google confirmed that the feature would roll out to all Pixel owners running Android 13 – so the Pixel 5 range and later – by the end of 2022. It stuck to its word and the update began appearing on users’ phones on 20 December 2022.
To confirm, the following phones can access the Android security & privacy hub right now:
- Google Pixel 5
- Google Pixel 5a
- Google Pixel 6
- Google Pixel 6 Pro
- Google Pixel 6a
- Google Pixel 7
- Google Pixel 7 Pro
- Google Pixel 7a
When will my phone get the Android security & privacy hub?
It’s a tale of two halves; while Google has confirmed that the functionality will be available on other Android 13 devices aside from its Pixel range, the company gave no kind of timeline on when to expect those updates to drop.
It’s likely down to smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Oppo to integrate the software into their flavours of Android before rolling it out to users, and that could take a while. At the time of writing, the hub still seems to be exclusive to Pixel devices, but maybe that’ll change by the time 2023 comes to a close.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
