We’ve previously reviewed SplashData’s password protection program, SplashID, in various formats and generally given it favorable ratings (here, here, and here). I’ve used it as my standard password protection program for a while now. When I recently acquired a Motorola Droid, in addition to checking out some new, great programs for the Android operating system, I also wanted to see which of my standard programs were available for Android.
SplashID, which is also available for iPhone, Windows Mobile, Palm, Series 60, and BlackBerry, is SplashData’s first Android application. The Android version shares a lot with the other platforms, so anyone already familiar with SplashID from using it on another device will find it comfortable to use. The basic SplashID features, functions, and encryption process remains a constant among the platforms, so we’ll focus on the specifics of the Android version, which lie largely in the menus and appearance of the program.
Like other versions of SplashID, the look of the program is clean and professional. The off-white text against a black background is easy to read. Each entry (or card) is assigned a type (bank accounts, birthdays, calling card numbers, email accounts, website passwords, etc.) and may be assigned a category (personal, business, etc.). Your list of entries can be sorted by selecting a card type or a category using drop-down menus at the top of the screen. There’s also a search box. These items, along with a title bar, are permanently affixed in the main viewing screen, taking up a quarter of the screen overall on my Droid in portrait orientation.
SplashID supports landscape orientation, but with the search boxes and type/category selection lists ever present at the top of the screen, even in landscape mode, only three entries can be viewed in this orientation. It would be nice if the font sizes could be adjusted, thus potentially allowing more entries to show up in the list at one time if a smaller font were used, or if the selection and search boxes could be hidden.
The cards themselves are easy to read. The way that they are divided into sections makes it easy to quickly find the information you need. For cards with password fields, you can choose to mask the data in the password field so it’s not automatically viewable. Each card type has several fields that are predetermined for descriptions, serial numbers, passwords, and so forth, but there are also several “blank” fields that the user can customize. This can come in handy, such as when a software program may have both license numbers and registration numbers, as you can customize the field names to allow both numbers to be clearly labeled.
As with other versions of SplashID, the Android version can be synchronized with the companion desktop program. Already having SplashID for the desktop installed on my MacBook, I mistakenly assumed that that there is just one desktop version. Not so. If you are synchronizing another mobile version of SplashID with your desktop, you will need to download the desktop version for Android.
After downloading the correct version of the desktop software, setting up a synchronization partnership between SplashID on your mobile and on your desktop is fairly straight-forward. With both versions running and connected to the same wi-fi network, choose “More” from the menu on your Android device, then choose “Synchronize.” The next screen will ask you to enter the IP address of the computer with which you’d like to synchronize. From there, tap the “Start Sync” button and the two devices should find each other and begin synchronizing. The synchronization process is pretty fast.
If you are looking for a password protection program for your Android device, check out SplashID. Aside from being easy to use, supporting desktop synchronization, and being available for multiple platforms (in case you have multiple devices or like to switch often), it also allows you to import databases from several different password protection programs, so switching from other vendors is easy.
What I Like: Clean interface, easy to use and synchronize, available on multiple platforms
What Needs Improvement: It would be helpful to have the ability to hide the filters at the top of the screen or to change font sizes
MSRP: $9.95 for Android application; $19.95 for desktop software
News Update: Review: SplashID for Android | Gear Diary http://ow.ly/17f9wL