The Security Benefits of Screen Pinning Your Android

Have you ever shared a funny video or picture on your phone with someone who decided to see what else was on your phone? Even if you haven’t, there’s a good possibility that this situation might happen someday unless you resort to screen pinning. Android users have this neat feature available to them to help protect their privacy.

The best thing about the functionality is that you don’t need to download an app or hire a technician to help you when your Android already comes equipped with it.

What the Heck Is Screen Pinning?
The idea behind screen pinning is to ensure that anyone using your phone can only see and use the app you have open at that particular moment. By activating the feature, every other app or function of your device is locked away for anyone who doesn’t have your password until you decide to let them back in.

Read More: 3 Built-In Android Security Features to Take Advantage Of

The feature is useful when sharing your device with children who want to play a game or browse through YouTube to entertain themselves. Screen pinning can also prevent your friends from checking out your private photos or any videos you may have taken during a vulnerable time.

How to Activate It?
In order to keep your privacy from friends or strangers, go to the Settings page on your phone. Then, hit on the Security tab, followed by the Other Security Settings page and finally the Pin window. Once you reach this screen, you can activate to pin your screen, plus you can also activate a feature that says ‘Ask for PIN before unpinning.’

Once you’ve activated screen pinning, you’ll receive some instructions on your phone. To complete the process, you have to enable Pin windows, then open an app, press the Recents key and tap the blue ‘pin’ icon in the bottom right corner of the window of the app you want to keep on the screen. Each time you pin an item, you’ll be asked to confirm.

How Do I Unpin an Item?
To leave an app, touch and hold the ‘back’ and ‘overview’ buttons at the same time. A couple of seconds later, your Android will switch to the overview screen.

How Else Can I Protect My Device?
There are other ways to protect your Facebook, Texts, Contacts, Images and other apps. dfndr security’s Applock feature allows you to choose what apps to protect by adding a secondary password. May sound like overkill, but you can never be too cautious!