Google has been working on a new feature called “Private Spaces” for Android 15, and now a new report reveals what it might offer. In December 2023, a report revealed the existence of private space for the first time. But at the time, its capabilities were not well known and people thought it was just a tool to safely hide applications and files that users didn’t want others to see. Now, a new report sheds further light on its capabilities.

According to informant Mishaal Rahman (pass Android Authority), Google has been heavily developing the feature since it was first discovered last year. The feature was discovered in Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 version. Interestingly, it is not available in the Android 15 Developer Preview 2 build. According to the screenshot, Private Spaces now come with instructions: “Hide or lock private apps in separate spaces. Use a dedicated Google account for extra security.”

The ability to register a private space with a dedicated account is probably the feature’s biggest development, as it allows users to completely separate the space from the rest of the device. According to the report, when creating a new private space, the prompt to enter a separate Google account will appear again, stating: “Using a dedicated account can help prevent synced files, photos, and emails from appearing outside your space.” The source revealed that users will have to add a lock pattern or PIN code to the space, which is similar to the phone lock by default but can be changed for greater security.

Another big development for private spaces is the ability to privately install apps that don’t appear outside the space. These apps are downloaded using the Google account used to create the space. According to the report, users can download apps from within a private space through a dedicated “Install App” button, or can long-press an app outside the space to display a “Private Install” option.

Once created, Private Spaces will appear as a thin strip at the bottom of the app drawer with a lock icon in the corner, according to people familiar with the matter. Clicking on the icon will prompt the user to enter a password to enter the space. Thin bars can also be hidden by: set up > Security and privacy > private space. Once hidden, Private Space will not be visible at all and the only way to find it is to search for “Private Space” and click on the chip that appears.

According to reports, through the same settings options, users can also allow sensitive notifications on the lock screen, choose when to automatically lock the space, change their screen lock, and remove them. Google hasn’t rolled out the feature yet, but it’s believed that a future Android 15 beta update may come with it.

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