Google Drive

Google Drive adds support for Face ID and Touch ID security on iPhone, iPad

Damien Wilde | May 5 2020 - 5:07 am PT

Google Drive has now officially gained support for biometric locks and unlocks with the iPhone and iPad Face ID and Touch ID systems.

The feature is now rolling out widely after being quietly confirmed last month according to Digital Trends. The option is now appearing as part of the Privacy Screen feature that is available within Google Drive on iPhone and iPad thanks to the version 4.2020.18204 update (via The Verge).

Privacy Screen essentially locks your apps and requires you to unlock them with Face ID or Touch ID whenever you try to open them. This should ensure that sensitive or personal documents are kept safe and secure from prying eyes.

As part of the new update, you can set the Privacy Screen toggle to activate itself when exiting or switching to another app from within iOS on iPhone or iPad. This means that even using the app switcher to and from another open app will require authentication to re-open Drive.

You can also set a delay for when Face ID or Touch ID is needed too. With options from 10 seconds, 1 minute, or 10 minutes available. This should make it less frustrating if you are constantly swapping in and out of Drive for files and documents on a daily basis, which will likely be especially popular with those using their iPad as their primary productivity device.

Naturally, to enable Face ID or Touch ID security with Google Drive on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll need to download the latest update from the Apple App Store.