this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2024
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Privacy
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App Pinning DOES NOT lockdown the device, even if you have it set to require a PIN to unpin, biometrics still work to unlock the device.
It also gives you a warning that personal data may still be accessible and the pinned app can open other apps. It specifically says "Only use app pinning with people you trust"... which is the exact opposite of the use case here. And app pinning is turned off by default, you have go go searching in the settings to enable the ability.
Was definitely on by default on my device.
Personal data is still accessible, if the app you choose to pin is something like the dialer, or your mail app, then yes, you can obviously access contacts and emails. The feature doesn't block the pinned app from accessing everything it normally accesses.
As for opening other apps, this applies to stuff like links or launchers. If the app has links somewhere, you could open your default browser app. It does not allow you to "escape" the pinned app to anywhere else in the system, unless the pinned app has a way to launch other apps the way launchers do.
The feature could certainly use improvement, but if it were only useful with people you trust, it would be pointless.
It's obviously intended for situations where you have to let someone use your phone, and don't want to give them free reign. With people you trust, you wouldn't need something like that.
It's far better than nothing, and is in fact part of android.