Google is making it safer to access Drive services on iPhones and iPads with a new privacy screen feature that allows users to keep prying eyes away from private documents using Touch ID or Face ID.

When accessing the Drive app on iOS or iPadOS, this new feature prompts a fingerprint scan with Touch ID or, on newer iPhones such as the iPhone 11 Pro, a face scan with Face ID. If a user navigates out of the Drive app, the app can be set to prompt for Face ID or Touch ID authentication when the Privacy Screen is reopened. The app can be set to do this immediately or within a 10 second window.

Google announced last month that Drive's Privacy Screen would be offered on iOS and iPadOS. However, the search giant took a while to integrate the security features of its cloud storage and collaboration app into the pair of Apple's mobile operating systems. the latest app update notes for Drive on iOS and iPadOS the feature now exists, correct, and clarified that it is.

Google Drive may be known to many as a web-based service, but it is often used in the form of iOS and Android apps to access documents on the go. Thanks to Google's quick and streamlined syncing process, I regularly write notes and draft articles on my iPad mini before moving on to editing on my PC or laptop.

However, it means that my iPad mini is effectively a window into many documents with personal information on them; Touch ID locks people out of my iPad mini, but leaving it unlocked means I can go rogue with the Drive app. But adding Touch ID and Face ID protection protects me from such scenarios.

To turn the privacy screen on or off in the Drive app on iOS or iPadOS, simply go to the app's settings, enter the privacy screen menu, and turn it on or off with a single button. There is also a subset of settings to set the delay between exiting the app and the privacy screen being activated.

Apple itself has also made security-related changes to iOS, introducing a new faster password entry feature for people wearing face masks with Face ID phones. We expect Apple to add additional security and privacy features to iOS 14.