Devices equipped to run Android 6.0, also known as Marshmallow, will be required to have disk encryption enabled by default.
The mandate comes from Google's Android Compatibility Definition, which describes the requirements devices must meet to be compatible with the upcoming Android OS. Certain less powerful devices will be exempted from default encryption but for those that qualify, Google wrote “full-disk encryption MUST be enabled by default at the time the user has completed the out-of-box setup experience.”
Android's latest iteration, Lollipop, was supposed to come equipped with default encryption, as well. At the last minute, however, Google backtracked on its pledge and some device partners shipped their technology without the privacy-enhancing feature.
Meanwhile, Apple devices continue to come encrypted by default with the company saying it's unable to remotely unlock most devices currently used.
