With the stable version of One UI 7, Samsung is reportedly planning to introduce a native App Lock feature. For now, the company is evaluating the possibility of the feature for the next major update for Galaxy devices. This can provide an easy option to lock individual apps, without relying on Samsung’s Secure Folder.
Galaxy devices might get the App Lock feature
According to a moderator on the One UI Beta Program community, the final version of One UI 7 may include a native App Lock feature for Galaxy devices. In a response to the Samsung user’s post on the forum, the moderator said, “If your suggestion aligns with our direction, we will consider applying it to the official release.” Notably, the first two One UI 7 beta builds do not include an App Lock feature.
The native App Lock feature will provide users with an easy way to lock apps like Gallery, Messages, or social media without relying on third-party apps. The feature will most likely allow users to lock specific apps with a PIN, password, or even biometric authentication like a fingerprint or facial recognition.
Unlike Secure Folder, which essentially creates a separate version of an app, the App Lock feature would allow users to secure their existing apps directly. The user would no longer need to maintain duplicate apps or worry about transferring data between the regular and secured versions of an app.
China’s One UI version already offers this feature
Interestingly, this feature has been part of the Chinese variant of One UI for some time. Galaxy users outside of China have frequently requested the global release of App Lock. As a result, Samsung is now considering the feature. If approved, it may be part of the final release or could be introduced later, possibly in an update like One UI 7.1. The One UI 7 stable update will likely arrive in January 2025 alongside the Galaxy S25 series.
Now, Android 15-based One UI 7 Beta 2 is out for the Galaxy S24 series in some regions including the US. If you haven’t signed up yet, there might still be slots open. App Lock is not included in this release but you can try it out. Remember this is a beta so it might have some bugs. If One UI 7 Beta is available in your region, you should see a banner on the Samsung Members app’s home screen to join.
