Android’s notification panel is one reason I prefer it over the iPhone. I find Apple’s approach to notifications lacking, with the Notification Center offering little utility. The experience is better on Google Pixel phones, which run Android exactly as Google intended.
However, unlike the iPhone, I find the Pixel’s lock screen insecure because it does not mask unread notifications, exposing my private chats, emails, and calendar appointments to anyone nearby. If you’re in the same boat, there’s a hidden Android setting that fixes this problem.
The Pixel’s lock screen reveals more than I want it to
Exposing the content of all my notifications
On Pixels and other Android devices, your unread notifications are visible on the lock screen. This is irrespective of whether you unlocked the phone or not.
Imagine your phone is on a table and your spouse drops in a message. Everyone nearby can see its content at a glance. The larger the display, the more visible it becomes. Likewise, Slack notifications, calendar reminders, and unread emails are visible on the lock screen for others to see.
Your only option is to switch to an icon-based layout, which hides the notification content. Samsung switched to this layout by default with One UI 7 on its Galaxy devices, avoiding the above problem. Even Pixel phones offer a similar option, but I find it makes keeping up with notifications difficult.
Apple tackles this privacy issue with Face ID on the iPhone. The notification content remains hidden on the lock screen until the phone recognizes your face. I knew Samsung phones offered an iPhone-like feature to mask lock screen notification content. However, I never used it, as I found the face unlock experience unreliable on older Galaxy phones. That’s no longer the case with newer flagship Galaxy phones.
When I switched to a Pixel phone, I wondered why Google didn’t use face unlock to secure lock screen notification content like the iPhone. The Pixel 8 Pro and newer models feature a more secure version of face unlock that can be used for authorizing payments and unlocking banking apps.
The feature has always been there, but it was buried in the lock screen notification settings.
Secure your Pixel’s lock screen by enabling this option
Dive into your phone’s notification settings
Similar to iPhones, Google offers an option to mask notification content on the lock screen, revealing it only after a successful biometric verification. To enable this feature, navigate to Settings > Notifications > Notifications on lock screen. From here, turn off the Show sensitive content toggle, and your Pixel only displays notification content on the lock screen after a successful face biometric verification.
Also, turn on the Skip lock screen option from the Face Unlock settings in Security & privacy > Device unlock. Otherwise, your Pixel phone will jump to the last opened app or home screen after a successful face unlock scan.
I enabled the feature a few weeks ago, and it works surprisingly well, almost like it does on the iPhone. My Pixel now only shows the notification content on the lock screen after confirming I am looking at it. Otherwise, it hides the content from prying eyes.
Given how well the feature works, it’s surprising Google doesn’t prompt you to enable it during the initial phone setup or while setting up face unlock.
The trade-off you need to know
Face unlock does not always work
There’s one major downside to enabling this feature. Unlike iPhones, which use a sophisticated IR-based Face ID system for face unlock, Pixels and other Android phones rely on the front camera for face unlock. This solution does the job, but it falters in low-light and other challenging scenarios.
The Pixel 8 Pro can’t successfully scan my face in a dark room or when strong light is behind me, which means the notification content stays hidden. This can be frustrating, especially when I want to glance at a message or calendar alert without interacting with the device.
To unlock the phone in such situations, I use the fingerprint scanner. However, there’s a catch. Using the fingerprint scanner takes me past the lock screen and to the home screen.
There isn’t an option on Pixel phones to stay on the lock screen and reveal the hidden notification content when using the fingerprint scanner for biometric verification. This means I miss the opportunity to quickly glance at my messages, emails, or calendar alerts from the lock screen.
It’s a small but annoying limitation that provides an inconsistent experience, especially when compared to iPhones.
A simple step for smarter lock screen security
If, like me, you were unaware of the Pixel’s ability to hide lock screen notification content until a successful face scan, turn on this feature. It made my lock screen more secure and helps ensure my private information stays private.
Despite the drawbacks associated with a camera-based face unlock, this feature works surprisingly well in everyday use. This simple settings tweak goes a long way in protecting your privacy without compromising convenience.
