How to Protect Your Google Drive on iPhone and iPad

Storing important and or sensitive documents in Google Drive isn’t the most secure way to protect your data, but if you are, your iPhone and iPad can help keep everything safe. Let’s see how to protect this cloud storage mobile app using Face ID or Touch ID.

Your mobile device may already be setup to use Face ID or Touch ID. You may ask, why set this up for a particular app, the Google Drive? A friend may ask to see your device. What if they accessed your documents via Google Drive without your knowledge? There is nothing to stop them because you already unlocked your device. So, we are going to add another layer of protection. Of course, enabling two factor authentication for your Google account is the best way to keep prying eyes out of your cloud files.

Note! To follow this guide, you will need the Passcode for your device. The screenshots are for an iPhone.

This is for iPhone and iPad devices

Dilbert and Health — *Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS*

Open Google Drive

Start by opening the Google Drive app. Use Apple’s built-in Spotlight Search if you can’t find it on your Home screen. Refer to below image:

Google Drive Protect 1 — Locating Google Drive app

Next, tap the Hamburger icon in upper left of the screen. See following image:

Google Drive Protect 2 — The Hamburger icon

Open the Settings

From the slide out menu that appears, select the Settings option. See below image:

Google Drive Protect 3 — Opening Settings

Next, tap on the Privacy Screen option. Refer to below image:

Google Drive Protect 4 — Opening the Privacy Screen option

Set the Privacy Option

From here, toggle on the Privacy Screen option. See following image:

Google Drive Protect 5 — Turning on the Privacy Screen option

Allow Permission

Now, your iPhone or iPad will display a pop-up box asking for permission to access Face ID or Touch ID. Tap the OK button to allow permission. Refer to below image:

Google Drive Protect 6 — Allowing permission for Google Drive by Face ID

The next time you exit and reopen Google Drive, you will be presented a screen for your face or fingerprint to access your cloud storage.

Now that the Privacy Screen setting is enabled, you will see several new options to customize the feature further.

Set Privacy Screen Delay

By default, the Privacy Screen feature locks the Drive app the moment you lock your iPhone’s or iPad’s display or leave the app. If you want to add a time delay, tap on the option that corresponds to the Delay listing. See below image:

Google Drive Protect 10 — Accessing Privacy Screen Delay options

You have four options to choose from:

Immediately (the default)
After 10 seconds
After 1 minute
After 10 minutes

Once you have checkmarked your selection, tap the Back arrow. By default, the Immediately option is selected and is the recommended setting. Refer to below image:

Google Drive Protect 11 — Setting the Privacy Screen Delay option

Using the Passcode Method

You have the option of using your Passcode to protect your files instead of your Face ID or Touch ID. This feature offers a more secure method of accessing Google Drive.

To do this, let’s go back to the Privacy Screen settings menu, then tap the Open System Settings blue link. See following image:

Google Drive Protect 7 — Opening System Settings to change access method

You are taken to the Drive’s section for your iPhone or iPad Settings menu. Here, just toggle off permission to use Face ID or Touch ID. See below image:

Google Drive Protect 8 — Turning off Face ID permission

Now, the next time you open the Google Drive app,you will be required to enter your device’s lock screen Passcode. Refer to below image:

Google Drive Protect 9 — Entering your Passcode to access Google Drive

You have successfully locked your Google Drive app either using your Face ID/Touch ID or your Passcode. That’s it.

I Would Like to Hear From You

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.

The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath

Author: Raymond

I am Raymond Oglesby, an Information Technology (IT) specialist with 30 years in the field. I have taught Microsoft Applications and troubleshot computers in 15 countries and many States. My career was focused on mainframes and desktops from application development to implementation. I have written hundreds of programs for various architectures. I decided to start a blog to share my knowledge and experiences with you. I plan on updating this blog at least twice a week about smart phone apps to Windows. Please feel free to leave a Comment or Tweet. I would love to hear from you. Do you have a computer tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Please mention the app and version that you are using. To help me out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question. View all posts by Raymond

Battle for Tra Bong Vietnam: Events and Aftermath

Click here to preview or order. Although this is not technical, I thought I would give a plug for my e-book published in December 2018. You can access the e-book from a Kindle device, the Kindle App for the desktop or smartphone, which is a free app.

In 1970, I was an Army Fire Direction Control (FDC) specialist. I was stationed at Landing Zone (LZ) Cindy in Tra Bong, Vietnam. We had an Observation Post (OP) and a Searchlight (SLT) unit. Next to the firebase was an Armed Forces Vietnam (ARVN) unit of 100 men. Besides the helicopter landing zone, we had the shortest airstrip in Vietnam. Approximately 100 men were stationed at LZ Cindy.

The firebase had tremendous firepower with automatic weapons, 50-caliber and 60-caliber machine guns to include a Quad 50, Dusters, 8 inch and 175 howitzers, mortars, grenades, claymores, flares, etc.

The firebase had a major battle in September 1970. That battle and how it impacted the war in general and one soldier’s life specifically is the subject of the ebook. The ebook is in the Kindle format and available from Amazon. Click here to preview or order.