A new E2eeContactKeysManager API has been introduced in Android 15‘s first beta to facilitate end-to-end encryption (E2EE) within Android apps. It provides an operating system-level interface for storing cryptographic public keys. Now a report suggests that Android 15 may bring Apple-inspired Contact Key as protection against cyber attacks
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E2eeContactKeysManager API is integrated with the Google contact app which enables users to manage and verify their contacts’ public keys. It offers a wide range of tools for managing cryptographic keys. Android 15 contact key has provided enhanced security against cyberattacks, positioning itself as a stronger competitor against Apple in terms of cybersecurity.
Google Play Services will look after the functioning of Contact Keys. Google Play Services beta reveals insight into new activities and strings and the functioning of these features. Currently, There are three activities within Play Services: Onboarding, showing the QR code, and scanning the QR code.
Moreover, there are plenty of strings, which help us piece together how the feature could work:
<string name="contactkeys_scan_qr_btn_scan">Scan code</string> <string name="contactkeys_scan_qr_btn_show">Show code</string> <string name="contactkeys_scan_qr_text_view_desc">Scan the QR code on this contact's phone. This will confirm encryption between your phones for all end-to-end encrypted apps. To do this, they'll need to open the Google Contacts app > Contacts settings > Your info.</string> <string name="contactkeys_scan_qr_text_view_title">Confirm end-to-end encryption</string> <string name="contactkeys_show_qr_code_no_selfkeys">No keys to verify.</string> <string name="contactkeys_show_qr_text_view_show_numbers">Show numbers</string> <string name="contactkeys_show_qr_text_view_desc">Ask this contact to scan your code here, which you can also access from Contacts Settings > Your Info. You can also compare the app specific numbers instead.</string> <string name="contactkeys_lookupkey_required">Error starting key verification, no contact specified</string>
The Contact Keys feature in Android integrates with the Google Contacts app to enhance user experience. The Contact Keys feature in Android 15 ensures end-to-end encryption (E2E) by scanning a QR code displayed on the other person’s Google Contacts app. Alternatively, app-specific numbers provided in the strings can be compared to confirm encryption status.
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Apple iOS has a similar feature named Contact Key Verification, introduced in iOS 17.2. Contact Key Verification feature provides automatic alerts to verify communications, ensuring users interact only with intended contacts to ensure secure communication against any cyber attack.
It is anticipated that the Google Contact key will be as secure as Contact Key Verification. As for now, the string in Google Contact key in Android is not providing users with iMessage Contact Key Verification, but maybe this feature will be included.
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