One of the commonly used method to protect your phone is to set up a lockscreen passcode. In addition to this, it is also advisable to use an app locker to protect the individual app. In case you are not sure, an app locker protects your app and require you to enter a password before you can access the app. Out of all the app lockers in the Android market, the one that I like best is App Locker II. Most app lockers protect your apps via a passcode/password. App Locker II adds a twist to the protection. Instead of requiring the user to enter password, it shows a crash message, giving people the false impression that the app is corrupted and cannot be accessed. When you tap on the Force Close button, it exits the app and brings you back to the homescreen. Genius!

When you first run the Fake Crash app, it loads all the applications in your phone. You can then scroll down the application list, select the app that you want to protect, and select “Protect”.

To access the protected app, instead of pressing the “Force close” button, you tap the message twice.

If you feel that this is not secure enough, you can also configure the different way to unlock your app. While the default is tapping the message twice, you can change the tapping frequency to five, or use rotate motion, double rotate motion, or simply set a password to unlock the app.

If you use a password, you will see an extra “Report” button beside the “Force Close” button. Select the “Report” button and type in your password at the “Description” field. If your password is correct, it will automatically unlock the app.

Here’s what you need to do to get the best out of this app:

  1. Make sure this app locker app is protected. 2. Make sure the Market and Settings apps are protected so no one can go in to uninstall the app. 3. Make sure all Task Killers app are protected so no one can kill this app. 4. Don’t kill Android Protector process App Locker II: Fake Crash is free to download and use, but can only protect 3 apps. The premium version, App Locker II Pro costs US$2.99. There is also a widget version and an invisible version (activated via the dialpad) available in the market.