While One UI 8 may not be a significant upgrade like One UI 7 in terms of an overall look, it will still bring some enhancements across several areas. A fresh leak now suggests that it will address a known security flaw within Secure Folder that lets anyone see your photos and apps without any restrictions.
Secure Folder uses the Android Private Space API in One UI 8
@DevOfIpos recently managed to install the latest early build BYE2 of One UI 8 on their Galaxy S25 Ultra, giving us a sneak peek at some of the changes. One such notable change is within the Secure Folder — it now uses the new Android Private Space API instead of the work profile.
At first glance, it may look like a small change, but Samsung actually addressed a security flaw discovered earlier this year. The flaw allows you to access photos and videos saved in the Secure Folder through any app if you activate a work profile.
For the uninitiated, Secure Folder allows Galaxy users to store all the photos, videos, files, apps, and data in a separate place privately. It uses the Samsung Knox security platform to encrypt all data stored there, preventing any malicious attacks. You can secure the folder using any type of lock, such as a passcode or biometric.
How Samsung is fixing the security flaw
The primary reason behind exposing apps and photos outside of the Secure Folder is the work profile, which is separate from the default personal profile. Surprisingly, the Android system photo picker allows users to see the contents within the work profile. That’s a serious concern.
However, the story is different when it comes to Android 15’s Private Space, as it’s a different private user profile. Just like Samsung’s Secure Folder, Private Space also allows users to create a separate place on their device to hide sensitive apps and data. But when you lock this space, it restricts the Android system photo picker from accessing the contents.
Now that Samsung’s Secure Folder in One UI 8 uses the Private Space API instead of the work profile, we can expect that the known security flaw has been fixed. We now just have to wait for One UI 8’s launch to get the fix, which could happen in early July 2025.
