Android 17 App Lock makes lock screen alerts private

With Android 17, the developers are tightening the guard around private conversations, offering a new layer of privacy. The revamped App Lock will hide notification text, surfacing only generic labels such as 'New message.' Leave the phone unattended, and no one nearby will be able to read the chat or glimpse its contents.

Notifications will adapt to the type of app. In messaging services, when the app is locked, the alert will show only 'New message,' concealing both the sender’s name and the text. For other apps that aren’t about conversations, alerts will appear as 'New notification,' without any hint of what’s inside. It will likely still display which app sent the alert, so the user can see the source without exposing the content.

The feature is currently in testing, so its final look and behavior may change by the time of the official release. The aim is to hand users more control over personal data, keeping not only messages but also photos, videos, and other sensitive items out of sight.

Android 17 aims to make alerts more private while preserving a practical balance between security and ease of use. That kind of discretion proves especially useful in offices, on public transit, or anywhere a phone might be within someone else’s line of vision — a small tweak with outsized everyday value.