Samsung on Monday introduced a new privacy feature for its Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 smartphones. Named AltZLife, the privacy-centric feature is now rolling out as a part of software update for both the smartphones. The feature creates a secondary private space on the phone, accessible through authentication process that is different from the one required to unlock the phone – according to Samsung. 

How the Samsung AltZLife feature works:

The AltZLife mode gets activated on double pressing the power button. It is a secondary space with access to all phone features, including photo gallery and apps. However, one needs to transfer the content from normal mode to private mode and install the apps (including second instance of apps) separately on the private mode. There are two ways to transfer and manage content in private mode -- Quick Switch and Content Suggestions.

Quick Switch

Quick Switch allows users to between two instances of the same app instantly: One instance in normal mode and the other in private mode. For example, user can move between the normal Gallery and a private Gallery; or from a normal WhatsApp to a private WhatsApp by double clicking the power button. The private versions of these apps are secured by Samsung Knox in the Secure Folder of Galaxy smartphones.

When a user double clicks on the power button in normal mode, authentication is required before entering the private mode of the same app. This authentication is different from normal unlocking of the smartphone. When switching from private to normal mode, no authentication is required.

Content Suggestions

Content Suggestions is an artificial intelligence-based app inside the ‘Secure Folder’, and it is an on-device engine which suggests content that users may want to move to private second space in ‘Secure Folder’. For the phone to recommend content, users have to select specific faces or a type of image they want to tag as private and keep them secured in the private gallery of the Secure Folder. 

Once the initial setup is complete, the AI engine identifies images from the gallery and make recommendations to move them to private space. According to Samsung, this is an on-device AI-based  solution, therefore, no information or image ever leaves the smartphone.