Google’s Android L to Include Default Encryption

Encryption has been available on Android since 2011, but most users probably didn't know how to turn it on.

And for Google's next trick, the search giant will launch its next-generation Android L operating system with encryption on by default.

"For over three years Android has offered encryption, and keys are not stored off of the device, so they cannot be shared with law enforcement," a company spokeswoman told PCMag. "As part of our next Android release, encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you want even have to think about turning it on."

The move was first reported by The Washington Post, which noted that encryption has indeed been available on Android since 2011, but the average user was not really aware of how to turn it on.

Apple is doing something similar with iOS 8.

"On devices running iOS 8, your personal data such as photos, messages (including attachments), email, contacts, call history, iTunes content, notes, and reminders is placed under the protection of your passcode," Apple said on its website. "Unlike our competitors, Apple cannot bypass your passcode and therefore cannot access this data. So it's not technically feasible for us to respond to government warrants for the extraction of this data from devices in their possession running iOS 8."

Tech firms like Google and Apple have been rushing to offer more secure solutions in the wake of Edward Snowden's NSA spying revelations, not to mention hacks like the recent nude celebrity photo leaks.

This summer, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that police must get a warrant before they can search the contents of your mobile device. It doesn't matter whether you carry the latest smartphone or a dated feature phone: If the cops want to know what secrets it holds, they need to talk to a judge first.

As the Post noted, Apple's iOS updates roll out all at once to eligible handsets, meaning a good number of iPhone owners will have an encrypted device very soon. Apple's iOS 8 rolled out on Wednesday, and the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which are pre-loaded with iOS 8, hit stores today in the U.S.

Android updates, meanwhile, are usually at the discretion of mobile carriers, meaning that Android L - and encryption - will be rolling out piecemeal on a device-by-device and carrier-by-carrier basis later this year.

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Google's Android L to Include Default Encryption