Practical Lollipop Security

Android 5 (a.k.a. Lollipop) introduced some really neat features that allow users to increase the level of security on their device. They include privacy, security and backup solutions for your device.

A new feature in Lollipop called Smart Lock allows the device holders use either a 'trusted device' or 'trusted face' to streamline how they lock their handset. 'Trusted devices' relies on either NFC or Bluetooth to function and promises that a phone stays unlocked when it's connected to things such as a smartwatch or a car's Bluetooth system. 'Trusted face' on the other hand is a more convenient way for all-purpose unlocking, and works after the user registers their face with the device. Android KitKat did have a feature called 'Face Unlock' but it often went unused due to the time it took for the unlock process to work. While the feature does reduce the number of times you need to type in your ode in any given day, it may make the device less secure since, as Google warns, someone who looks like the user may also be able to unlock the device.

Notifications in Lollipop can be viewed and acted on from a Lollipop device's lock screen — great for convenience, but less so for privacy, if your confidential messages can be viewed by anyone who access your phone. Luckily, it's truly simple to fine-tune how notifications appear on the lock screen — for example, by preventing them from appearing at all, or just showing which apps have notifications ready, and approving which apps can then display the content of notifications on the lock screen.

In 'Sound and Notifications Settings' under 'Notifications', you get three crude options for handling notifications when the device is locked: Show all notification content; Hide sensitive notification content — which removes the content of a message; and Don't show notifications at all.

Another feature — similar to Guided Access in iOS — is an accessibility element that is useful for retailers and businesses that want to restrict devices down to a single app, such as a menu or help guide. While the setup in iOS appears geared towards setting up access for a single, extended session, screen pinning in Android is geared towards every day use — such as handing a device to a friend or your child — by activating it once and leaving it available for the user to pin a particular app when they need to.

Another way to lock a device when sharing it with others is to use a guest profile, also a new feature in Lollipop. New accounts need to be set up for installed Google apps and key settings, such as Smart Lock, are disabled in this mode. The easiest way to activate a guest profile is to swipe down the Quick Settings in Lollipop and tap on the avatar. It is also possible to further restrict certain profiles from making phone calls.

Google has gone to some lengths to protect its users from potentially harmful apps with tools such as Verify Apps. Enabling the Verify Apps feature allows Google to scan the device for potentially harmful apps that are already installed, warn users against installing an app and to prevent an installation before it is completed. Other useful security features in Google Settings include Android device manager, which was introduced last year and supports remote device location, remote lock and erase.

Should you ever lose your device, you probably want to be able to restore key settings such as installed apps, WiFi passwords, and other information in an easy fashion. Enabling the restore feature it will require the user to set up a backup account. They will be prompted whether they want to restore backup settings and data. The data that is backed up and available for restore includes Google Calendar settings, WiFi networks and passwords, home screen wallpapers, gmail settings, and apps installed through Google Play.