Last month, Google shipped the Android 17 Beta 2 update to eligible Pixel phones with a lot of new changes like 'Passwords, passkeys & accounts' separation, new privacy indicators and more. Now, a new security feature is rolling out as part of the second beta and it supercharges Advanced Protection with stricter protocols.
Advanced Protection in Android 17 Beta 2 can now restrict accessibility permission apps
First spotted by tech publication Android Authority, Google's Advanced Protection feature can now restrict apps from accessing the AccessibilityService API. The newest addition to the feature is currently only available with Android 17 Beta 2 for eligible Pixel phones.
This new security trigger only works when Advanced Protection is enabled and renders the affected app useless. Simply put, apps and services that rely heavily on Android Accessibility commands will not be able to work as intended due to the new change.
However, it is more of a security firewall than a restrictive barrier. Apps whose sole purpose is to provide accessibility features will be exempted from this lockdown, provided they have a valid and proper declaration as "accessibility tools".
In case any app is unable to meet the security mandate, Advanced Protection Mode will prevent apps without official accessibility tools classification from receiving accessibility permissions. In case any app had access before the Android 17 Beta 2 update, it will get revoked automatically.
As it is evident from the above image, when users try to grant Accessibility permission to unverified apps, they are met with a Disclosure prompt, which confirms the restriction of the AccessibilityService API to the app. It will not let the user grant permission until and unless Advanced Protection Mode is disabled manually.
That said, this new security mandate for Advanced Protection falls in line with Google's broader plan to restrict unwanted and malicious app installations on Android. By restricting key accessibility features, Google is ensuring no Android app is able to exploit key API data to cause data leaks and vulnerabilities.
Note: At the time of writing, we were unable to spot the new Accessibility permission restriction prompt on our Google Pixel 9 Pro XL running the Android 17 Beta 2 update with CP21.260202.011 build number.
