Google today announced that it will be launching a new security feature in its Google File application called ‘Safe Folder’.
“Building privacy features that make sense for different needs is a top priority for us as we continue to work towards a more inclusive internet. To keep personal content more safe, we’re launching Safe Folder, a new feature in Files by Google,”the company said in a blog post.
Essentially, Safe folders are 4-digit PIN-encrypted folders which can contain important images, documents, videos and audios, allowing users to ‘lock’ certain items in a safe place. The safe folder can only be opened using the 4 digit pin set by the user. The folder is locked the moment the user leaves it, even if the app is running in the background. Moreover, when a user transfers a file into their secure folder it will disappear from all other file browsers and gallery apps.
Moreover, there is no built-in method to recover the password if a user ever happens to forget it, so proceed to use this feature at your own risk.
The safe folder’s beta version will be launched today to a selected number of users. The feature will soon be available in all countries.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent everything-from-home situation, everything ranging from schools to offices has gone digital. It hence becomes critical to remain digitally secure. Cyberattacks have been on the rise as well, since hackers realise the swarm of additional easy targets they get due to people using generally less secured networks at home.
As a result, many companies have announced features that ensure user privacy, including Samsung which has a file security feature called Secure Folder for all of its mobile phones, and Microsoft, which also has a similar feature called Personal Vault which can secure files using PINs or biometrics.
The google files app, a platform that was launched in 2017 to help people free up space, manage content and share files, now has over 150 million users globally.
