Google is gradually laying the groundwork for Android 17, and new details suggest that privacy will be a major focus. According to a report by Android Authority, an upcoming native App Lock feature in Android 17 could prevent sensitive notification content from being displayed when apps are locked.
Notifications From Locked Apps Will Be Masked
Evidence from the Android Canary 2601 build reveals how Google plans to handle notifications from locked apps. Strings discovered in the build indicate that notifications will still appear, but without revealing their actual content.
Relevant strings include:
“New message”
“New notification”
In practice, this would mean:
If Google Messages is locked, incoming texts will appear as “New message” instead of showing the message preview.
Notifications from other locked apps will be displayed as “New notification”, with no sensitive details visible.
This approach ensures that private information is not exposed on the lock screen or notification shade, even if the phone is accessible to others.
App Icons Likely to Remain Visible
While the Canary build does not confirm whether app names and icons will be hidden, it is expected – based on existing Android behaviour – that app icons and names may still be visible. This would allow users to identify which app received a notification without revealing its contents.
The App Lock notification behaviour is currently experimental and limited to internal Canary builds. Google may refine or change how locked-app notifications work before the final release of Android 17.
More clarity is expected as Android 17 development progresses and features move closer to beta and public testing phases.
