What you need to know
- A recent APK teardown of the Google app beta revealed that Google plans to move the location of “Trusted Places” and improve its management.
- The feature can be found within your device's location settings, with the homepage offering clearer add, adjust and remove options.
- It is speculated that after Google rolls out the “Extended Unlock” setting, we will start seeing it in trusted locations soon.
Device security is a hot topic, but Google could be improving one setting that helps you feel safe in trusted places.
According to an APK teardown by AssembleDebug and Android Authority, Google appears to be preparing to deliver an upgrade to its “Trusted Places” feature. The beta version of the Google app, version 24.34.33, shows signs of improved management of such places. The teardown also showed that users will soon be able to discover the feature more easily. Settings > Location > Trusted Places.
From there, users will find the feature listed alongside several other features, with the description “Tap to manage.”
This will indicate that your trusted places are “not shared with Google” and are stored on your device. Customization options allow users to specify specific locations like “Home”, “Work”, etc. The new home for “Trusted Places” comes with an improved menu, allowing users to add, adjust, and remove locations that are no longer needed.
The page also reiterates that “Trusted Places” offer specific location settings based on the information you store. If you're familiar with the feature from back in Android 5 (Lollipop), you'll know that one of its features is keeping your phone unlocked in trusted places.
According to the publication, many of these upgrades and changes were not working properly during the teardown, which is not surprising as Google is likely still developing them, but it's unclear when they will be released. We can expect them to arrive alongside Android 15 or sometime after.
Android's “Trusted Places” are (currently) buried under a ton of menus, so an upgrade is likely long overdue. Plus, these changes pair nicely with Google's “Extend Unlock.” During the rebranding from Smart Lock, it turns out the Extended version will “keep this device unlocked while it's in-carry, in specific trusted locations, or near connected devices.”
The publication states that when taken apart, a tagline appears at the bottom stating, “Show all settings that use trusted locations,” which could indicate closer alignment between some of Android's personal security settings.
Of course, this is an easier alternative to Watch Unlock, as that feature requires your Pixel Watch to be nearby in order to open your phone.
Android's “Trusted Places” may feel like a niche feature, considering most users want to keep their devices locked and secure. But with device security in mind, Google is working on Private Spaces in Android 15. This feature will allow users to store apps they don't want others to see in a separate location on their device. Such a feature could play well when Trusted Places start to gain traction again.