Google is adding a new privacy feature to Chrome for iOS that will allow the user to lock their Incognito tabs using Touch or Face ID. The feature should come in handy for users that multitask across multiple apps or when an individual lets someone else quickly use their smartphone.
With the new feature activated, Chrome users can lock Incognito tabs so that they appear blurred until the identity of the user is confirmed using either the iPhone’s built-in fingerprint scanner or facial recognition software. The feature, which is currently being tested in the Chrome for iOS beta channel, adds another layer of security for iPhone users.
Privacy-conscious individuals may have Incognito tabs open even while continuing to use the regular version of Chrome. Hypothetically, if such an individual was to offer their phone to a friend to use quickly, it could reveal their Incognito browsing habits. With the new privacy feature, those concerns should be allayed.
Identity checks
Similar privacy features are also available through the Google Search app, which employs biometric safeguards to confirm the identity of a user when they return to an Incognito session after more than 15 minutes away.
In addition, Google Drive, one of the world’s most popular cloud storage solutions, has a Privacy Screen that requires users to pass a fingerprint or facial recognition check every time they access the app. However, it is possible to delay this check by up to ten minutes for users that are frequently switching between multiple apps.
It’s worth noting that Google’s new privacy feature is not yet available for all iPhone users with access to the beta channel. It could receive a more general rollout with the launch of Chrome 89 next month, at which point, it will be accessible by going to “Settings” and activating “Lock Incognito tabs.”
Via 9to5Google
