With Google’s Rollout of New Anti-Theft Features, Stealing an Android Phone Is Going to Stop Being a Temptation

Your Android phone will be automatically locked if someone tries to get hold of it.

Android
No comments Twitter Flipboard E-mail

At its I/O 2024 event in May, Google announced new features focused on system security, which included Theft Detection Lock and Offline Device Lock. These two new features allow users to lock their devices remotely in case of theft.

The company is now rolling out the new features globally. As is usual with Android updates, the deployment is gradual, meaning that the features will arrive on all phones with Android 10 or higher in the coming hours and days.

Theft Detection Lock. Theft Detection Lock is one of the most notable new features. It allows the phone to detect if it has been stolen from the user’s hand automatically.

In these cases, the phone will automatically lock and prevent access to your apps and data. According to Google, the feature uses a new machine learning model for detection.

Offline Device Lock. On the other hand, the Offline Device Lock feature automatically locks the phone screen if the Internet connection is disconnected for an extended period of time. Google hasn’t specified for how long it needs to be online for that.

Remote Lock. This function allows users to remotely lock their main phone from the Settings app of another Android phone, similar to the Find My Device app.

Google is starting to roll out the new features for all Android phones with version 10 and above. They will appear in the Settings app, and users won’t need to do anything special to activate them other than setting them up from the Theft Protection menu.

Image | Xataka

Related | Cybercriminals Are Using a New Method to Steal Google Passwords: Full-Screen Mode

Home o Index