diff --git a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 3fee9013c..fc7446ba4 100644
--- a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@
         <!-- Services -->
         <service android:name="LatinIME"
                 android:label="@string/english_ime_name"
-                android:permission="android.permission.BIND_INPUT_METHOD">
+                android:permission="android.permission.BIND_INPUT_METHOD"
+                android:directBootAware="true">
             <intent-filter>
                 <action android:name="android.view.InputMethod" />
             </intent-filter>
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/dslul/openboard/inputmethod/latin/utils/DeviceProtectedUtils.java b/app/src/main/java/org/dslul/openboard/inputmethod/latin/utils/DeviceProtectedUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fad38fdb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/dslul/openboard/inputmethod/latin/utils/DeviceProtectedUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.dslul.openboard.inputmethod.latin.utils;
+
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.SharedPreferences;
+import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
+
+public final class DeviceProtectedUtils {
+
+    private static Context deviceProtectedContext;
+
+    public static Context getContext(final Context context) {
+        if (deviceProtectedContext != null) {
+            return deviceProtectedContext;
+        }
+        deviceProtectedContext = context.isDeviceProtectedStorage()
+                ? context : context.createDeviceProtectedStorageContext();
+        return deviceProtectedContext;
+    }
+
+    public static SharedPreferences getSharedPreferences(final Context context) {
+        return PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(getContext(context));
+    }
+
+    private DeviceProtectedUtils() {
+        // This utility class is not publicly instantiable.
+    }
+}