How to Encrypt Shared Preferences in Android apps Using AI

Last updated February 23, 2025 by Appdome

This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI/ML in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Encrypt In-App Preferences in Android apps.

What Is Shared Preferences Encryption?

Encrypting Shared Preferences protects sensitive data stored in Android apps by securing key-value pairs typically used for storing user settings, authentication tokens, or app-specific information. Shared Preferences are stored as plain-text XML files by default, making them vulnerable to attacks such as file system access, reverse engineering, or unauthorized app access. Attackers can exploit this unencrypted data to extract personally identifiable information (PII), authentication credentials, or session tokens, leading to data theft or unauthorized access. As apps grow more complex and data-intensive, encrypting Shared Preferences is essential for maintaining data confidentiality and preventing security breaches. Compliance with standards like PCI-DSS, which mandates secure storage of sensitive data, requires robust encryption practices to protect app-stored information. By encrypting Shared Preferences, developers ensure that even if attackers gain access to the app’s files, the data remains secure, mitigating risks to user privacy and safeguarding sensitive application data.

How Appdome Protects Mobile Apps With Shared Preferences Encryption

Appdome’s dynamic Encrypt Shared Preferences plugin for Android secures key-value pairs by encrypting Shared Preferences data at runtime, ensuring sensitive information like user settings, tokens, or authentication credentials is never stored in plain text. The plugin applies strong encryption algorithms, such as AES 256-bit, to protect preferences data, preventing unauthorized access through reverse engineering, file system access, or tampering. This encryption integrates seamlessly into the app’s runtime without requiring code changes. Developers can rely on Appdome’s solution to enforce compliance with PCI-DSS and other standards, ensuring robust protection of app-stored data.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Encrypt In-App Preferences Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Encrypt In-App Preferences , you’ll need:

How to Implement Encrypt In-App Preferences in Android Apps Using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Encrypt In-App Preferences without an SDK or gateway:

  1. Designate the Mobile App to be protected.

    1. Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.

    2. Android Formats: .apk or .aab
    3. Encrypt In-App Preferences is compatible with: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps.
  2. Select the defense: Encrypt In-App Preferences.

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Encrypt In-App Preferences feature as shown below:
        fusion set that contains Encrypt In-App Preferences

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Encrypt In-App Preferences feature

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Encrypt In-App Preferences feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.

      3. When you select the Encrypt In-App Preferences you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Encrypt In-App Preferences.

        Fusion Set applied Encrypt In-App Preferences

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Encrypt In-App Preferences protection
        Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      4. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below): fusion Set Detail Summary image

        Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary

      5. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
        1. Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
        2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
    1. Add the Encrypt In-App Preferences feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > Security tab > TOTALData™ Encryption section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On > Encrypt In-App Preferences.
        Encrypt In-App Preferences option

        Figure 4: Selecting Encrypt In-App Preferences

    2. Initiate the build command either by clicking Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 4) or via your CI/CD as described in Section 2.1.4.
    Congratulations!  The Encrypt In-App Preferences protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Encrypt In-App Preferences feature in Android Apps

    After building Encrypt In-App Preferences, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Encrypt In-App Preferences protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Encrypt In-App Preferences protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: Encrypt In-App Preferences shown in Certificate secure

    Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate

    Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Encrypt In-App Preferences has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Encrypt In-App Preferences and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for In-App Preferences Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when In-App Preferences is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for In-App Preferences in Android Apps, use registerReceiver in the Application OnCreate, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for In-App Preferences shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for In-App Preferences are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Encrypt In-App Preferences Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Encrypt In-App Preferences
Threat-Event Mode
OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging.
ON, IN-APP DETECTION Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce).
ON, IN-APP DEFENSE Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection).
Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check x
Visible in ThreatScope™ x
Developer Parameters for Encrypting In-App Preferences Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME
Threat-Event DATA reasonData
Threat-Event CODE reasonCode
Threat-Event REF
Threat-Event SCORE
currentThreatEventScore Current Threat-Event score
threatEventsScore Total Threat-events score
Threat-Event Context Keys
message Message displayed for the user on event
failSafeEnforce Timed enforcement against the identified threat
externalID The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events
osVersion OS version of the current device
deviceModel Current device model
deviceManufacturer The manufacturer of the current device
fusedAppToken The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app
kernelInfo Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine.
carrierPlmn PLMN of the device. Only available for Android devices.
deviceID Current device ID
reasonCode Reason code of the occurred event
buildDate Appdome fusion date of the current application
devicePlatform OS name of the current device
carrierName Carrier name of the current device. Only available for Android.
updatedOSVersion Is the OS version up to date
deviceBrand Brand of the device
deviceBoard Board of the device
buildUser Build user
buildHost Build host
sdkVersion Sdk version
timeZone Time zone
deviceFaceDown Is the device face down
locationLong Location longitude conditioned by location permission
locationLat Location latitude conditioned by location permission
locationState Location state conditioned by location permission
wifiSsid Wifi SSID
wifiSsidPermissionStatus Wifi SSID permission status
threatCode The last six characters of the threat code specify the OS, allowing the Threat Resolution Center to address the attack on the affected device.

With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), Android developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Android applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when In-App Preferences is detected.


The following is a code sample for native Android apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Encrypt In-App Preferences:


Important! Replace all placeholder instances of <Context Key> with the specific name of your threat event context key across all language examples. This is crucial to ensure your code functions correctly with the intended event data. For example, The <Context Key> could be the message, externalID, OS Version, reason code, etc.



Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Android Apps by using Encrypt In-App Preferences. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.

Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with Encrypt In-App Preferences

After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:

Related Articles:

How to Protect Android & iOS Apps from Copy/Paste Attacks

How to Protect iOS Apps from Screen Sharing Malware

Blur Application Screens for Mobile User Privacy in iOS Apps

How Do I Learn More?

If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.

Thank you!

Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.

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