Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung seems to be developing a new “Alert Center” in One UI 8 to notify users about sneaky apps, security risks, and aging account settings.
- Code strings describing “Alert Center” and its features were discovered in an internal One UI 8 build.
- It’s unclear when Samsung will launch the new security hub, but it should be available in your phone’s Settings when and if it goes live.
Samsung seems to be going one step above Android’s built-in security and privacy status indicator, privacy dashboard, and Play Protect settings. We’ve inspected an internal One UI 8 build and uncovered strings revealing a brand-new feature called “Alert Center,” a kind of centralized hub for privacy and security alerts related to your device.
The feature, expected to be listed under Settings > Security and privacy alerts in One UI 8, will seemingly give you real-time suggestions and warnings to help keep your personal data and device safe.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
According to the code strings we discovered, the “Alert Center” in One UI 8 will support two types of alerts: Privacy alerts and Security alerts.
Code
Security and privacy alerts
Suggestions and alerts will appear here to help you keep your
phone and personal data safe <string name="alert_center_info_privacy_alerts_description_one">You'll be notified when apps use permissions
to access your personal data frequently or in the background. You'll be given the opportunity to review the
permissions and decide if you want to continue allowing them.string> <string name="alert_center_info_security_alerts_description">You'll be notified when security threats are
detected on your phone. This may include malware apps that need to be uninstalled, settings you can change
for stronger security, or actions you can take to keep your phone safe.string>
<string name="alert_center_info_description">Security and privacy alerts provide useful suggestions and
information to help you keep your phone and personal data safe.string>Alert Center will notify you when apps access sensitive permissions like location, microphone, camera, contacts, and more, especially when they are accessed in the background or too frequently. This will remind you to review and revoke permissions from apps that may be overstepping their bounds.
Code also suggests that these alerts will name specific apps, such as “XYZ accessed your camera” or “ABC accessed your text messages in the background.” Alert Center will also notify you about updates to your “Trusted apps” and prompt you to review new permissions those apps might require.
The Alert Center doesn’t stop at privacy alerts. The code we found suggests it will also act as an advanced security dashboard and will notify you about multiple risks your device may be experiencing. Alerts will also be preventative in nature to protect your data and device from any future threats. The following are examples of security alerts that the Alert Center might display:
- Malware apps found via Google Play Protect or Samsung’s App Protection
- Outdated software or security patches
- Unsecured accounts, such as Google or Samsung accounts, with suspicious activity
- Biometric setup reminders for improved phone access security
- Find My Mobile alerts when location tracking is disabled
Some alerts might also come with an actionable button, like “Go to App Protection” or “Go to Software Update,” allowing you to quickly take action and protect your device. The system even includes warnings if over a year has passed since your last update, whether for system software or Google Play system components.
The system even includes warnings if over a year has passed since your last software update.
Samsung’s Alert Center could be a major step forward, something Google could also learn from and implement in future Android updates. While it clearly overlaps with Android’s built-in privacy and security tools, it seems to extend, combine, and centralize those features in a more actionable manner. That said, we’re simply making educated guesses about how the feature will function based on all the code strings we found. We’ll have to wait and see how Alert Center really works and the value it brings to Samsung devices.
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