Android App of the Day: APP Lock

Posted by Amy Eichelberg

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Have you ever wished that you could passcode protect some of your apps, or maybe even all of them? Maybe you have a snoopy girlfriend who wants to check your Facebook app, or a young child that shouldn’t be allowed to navigate freely through the applications that aren’t kid-friendly. Whatever your reason, I was more than happy to have discovered App Lock for Android. It’s made life much easier.

Pros:

Individually protect applications and important system functions
Protect with a number passcode or lockscreen pattern
Option to select a few apps or all apps
Option to lock select system functions
Simple interface/lock management

Cons:

User has to press “Ok” button after entering numeric passcode (slightly annoying)

How it works: When you open up APP Lock, you are prompted to select a passcode or pattern that will be required to open APP Lock and any other secured applications. APP Lock suggests for optimal use that you choose a unique password that would be difficult for someone to guess. For added security you should also avoid using the same passcode or lockscreen pattern that you’ve set for your phone itself.

The app’s dashboard shows a list of every app you have installed on your device. You can then select which app you want to protect, flip the lock switch and it is instantly password protected. For example, I password protected my email apps, Facebook, Google+, and my messenger apps. App Lock also provides the option to lock every app. The choice is up to you. A cool feature I found was that App Lock also offers the ability to lock specific system functions like the ability to install/uninstall apps from the device. This is extremely helpful when you have a child playing with your phone and you don’t want to get it back and find all your apps deleted. APP Lock allowed me to conveniently decide if I want to re-enter the password for an app after toggling the screen on/off or how much time can pass before being asked for credentials again.

Conclusion: APP Lock for Android is brilliant, extremely helpful, and practical. It provides a quick and personalized way to protect your apps from a nosy partner, family members, or even strangers. I would recommend APP Lock without hesitation to anyone looking for added security for the apps on their Android device.