Now that Google has started rolling out the Android 15 Developer Preview, we will start noticing many features being discovered in the latest update. One of the features that has been unearthed just now is actually from the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1. Based on our information, it appears that the future version of Android might have some countermeasures to prevent scammers from accessing sensitive information.
Android 15 could really double down on keeping users secured with even more focus on security
Mishaal Rahman discovered a feature while digging through the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1, and he talks about how there is a new permission called RECEIVE_SENSITIVE_NOTIFICATIONS. The permission also has a protectionLevel of role|signature. What this means is that it can only be granted to applications with a requisite role or to applications that the OEM signs. Another thing to note here is that the exact role that grants this permission is still not defined. Rahman also claims that from the looks of it, Google might not let third-party apps use this permission.
<permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_SENSITIVE_NOTIFICATIONS" android:protectionLevel="role|signature"/>
Rahman also believes that this permission could be tied to a feature that will redact sensitive information from untrusted apps that implement a NotificationListenerService. He further claims that this is an API that is responsible for letting apps read or take actions on all the notifications. Users will have to manually grant app permissions in Settings before the NotificationListenerService API is available. He also shared a screenshot of how it looks, you can check it out below:
Rahman notes that the API itself is really powerful, so much so that it makes sense as to why Google would want to limit it. At this point, the actual scope of this permission and how Google will implement this with Android 15 is still unknown. However, I really, really hope that with the new update, this actually becomes commonplace for the people who are afraid of getting scammed, especially when they receive OPT messages. Let's be honest: scammers and hackers are everywhere and are often just waiting for us to make one wrong move. Thereafter, things get messy really fast.
We will keep you posted should this feature start showing up on future Android versions, but for now, just know that it will most likely come out in Android 15 at some point.
News Source: Android Authority
About the author: I have been tinkering with Android devices ever since the early days of the HTC Desire. Over time, I have grown a fondness for the ecosystem and now I cannot live without it. Although some might believe that I have sold my soul to Android, but I believe it is not the case. You can find me writing tutorials and posting guides on a number of different smartphones. When I am not writing here, I am wasting myself away in books, journals, or on Steam.
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