Recent apps reveals secure info

[anastrophe 12]

Nexus 6, Android 6.0.1, Evernote 7.8.2.

I use a Passcode to provide a minimal level of security for all my notes. However, when I go to the 'recent apps' screen, Evernote will happily display a mini copy of whatever note was open when I last used it. This opens a vulnerability for my information. No, 99% of the time it's not going to reveal necessarily private info that would be bad if it were shared, but if I've bothered to set up a passcode in evernote so that any random person who might gain access to my phone will have at least that blocking their access, then it defeats the point of that passcode if what I've recently viewed is displayed clearly on the recent apps screen. It should obfuscate the text in the recent apps screen.

Edited May 25, 2016 by anastrophe
attach screenshot

[gazumped 9,564]

Unless someone prizes the phone from my unwilling still-warm hands,  my screen locks and no-one gets to see anything without my being aware...

[Matt W. 174]

Hello @anastrophe,

Thank you for posting. I can definitely see where you are coming from on this. When you are exiting the windows or taping on the home button on your Android device, it will capture a thumbnail for the multi-view/ recent application of what you were last looking at with that application. This does appear to be by design with the Android OS since the introduction of the recent apps screen.

[anastrophe 12]

Right. But it is also something that the application vendor can modify, if desired - so any text in that app screen can be obfuscated when displayed in the recent apps list. It would be a desireable feature from my perspective.

[Matt W. 174]

Hello @anastrophe,

The team is currently looking into this. I will keep you posted as soon as I know more.

[Dave-in-Decatur 1,997]

Yes, well, OTOH I often like to see a bit of the Evernote or other screens in my Recent Apps list. It's not a security problem for me (as it would be, say, for my bank's app, which does obfuscate--basically blank--its info in Recent Apps). So if this is done, please make it an optional setting, not mandatory.

[anastrophe 12]

If they tied it to the optional passcode usage, it would pretty well satisfy that I think.

[alexandroid 2]

I've noticed that Evernote disappeared from recent apps list completely (android 7.1.2), is that in response to this problem?

[gazumped 9,564]

6 hours ago, alexandroid said:

I've noticed that Evernote disappeared from recent apps list completely (android 7.1.2), is that in response to this problem?

I'm still on Android 6.x which still shows Evernote as a recent app.  If that's changed in 7.1 I'd imagine it's a Google (OS) level change rather than something dictated by Evernote.  Only my opinion though.

[alexandroid 2]

All other apps show up in recent apps as usual, it seems only Evernote became "invisible".

[pras92 4]

On 7/14/2016 at 1:16 AM, Matt W. said:

Hello @anastrophe,

The team is currently looking into this. I will keep you posted as soon as I know more.

Hello, 

Any update on this? 

I'm in Android 7.0 based ROM and still experience this security loophole via recent apps screen.