Android L will encrypt your data automatically

It’s no secret that Google is stepping up the security aspects in Android L, perhaps to try and give the paranoid members of society another reason not to buy a BlackBerry. It actually turns out that encryption won’t be something the user has to activate themselves, in fact it’s all activated when you take it out of the box.

In the same way that Apple has made the option to remotely lock or wipe stolen iPhones, the encryption system, which has been included on Android phones since 2011, will be enabled by default. Previously you had to jump through a bunch of hoops to activate it, meaning only a minority of people actually bothered.

Some people are hailing this as a step against government surveillance, which it will certainly help prevent to some degree, it’ll also mean that thieves will have to work harder to pull any useful personal information from stolen phones since it’s all password protected. That being said it all depends on the strength of your password in the first place, so don’t pick something easy like ‘password1234’

It’s nice to see that Google is being more proactive with the security features, and ensuring that the more apathetic members of society actually get the protection their phones need.

Want to read more? Here’s our coverage of the recent Apple announcements, including everything you need to know about Apple’s ‘phablet’, the iPhone 6 Plus, and smartwatches buying guide, or if you’re sick of Apple completely, here’s our rundown of our 14 favourite dating apps, from Tinder to eHarmony.