Google's Theft Detection Lock feature is rolling out
What if you could not only detect when your phone has been stolen, but also lock it down so the thief can't access your data? It could all happen in an instant. No need to imagine it anymore, this new feature coming to devices running Android 10 and above does just that. Introducing Google's new AI-powered Theft Detection Lock feature.
Android Theft Detection Lock Timeline
Google first teased the news of its theft prevention measures for Android users back in May, when Suzanne Frey, Google's vice president of product, trust and growth, posted about three new features that would help smartphone users before, during and after a theft.
Smartphones are valuable targets for thieves, not just because of the resale value of the device itself, but in many ways because the data stored on them is a treasure trove of account access and personal information that can be used by cybercriminals, making them even more valuable than the smartphone itself.
“We're introducing a new suite of advanced anti-theft features to keep devices and data safe before, during and after theft,” Frey said.
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Android operating system guru Mishal Rahman posted the news on social media platform X that one of the most surprising advancements in anti-theft – Theft Detection Lock – is currently being rolled out. Rahman said the feature is “currently rolling out to a limited number of users who signed up for the beta program in Brazil” and will eventually be distributed to all Android 10 and above devices through Google Play Services.
What is Google's Theft Detection Lock?
So what is Theft Detection Lock? Google's announcement by Frey calls it “an AI-powered screen lock that automatically deploys if your phone is snatched,” which sums it up pretty well. Essentially, Theft Detection Lock uses Google's AI to determine if your phone has been snatched. It does this by identifying the behaviors most commonly associated with such thefts: snatching it from your hand and then fleeing on foot, by bike, or in a car. If the behaviors are determined to be indicative of theft, the AI-powered feature instantly locks your device, preventing the thief from easily accessing your data.
Of course, this isn't foolproof, and there are ways to unlock a locked device, but anything that makes it that much harder for a thief to get in is sure to be worthwhile. To make it as difficult as possible, we recommend using a long PIN or password behind facial or fingerprint authentication. “Find My Device lets you remotely lock or erase a phone if it's lost or stolen,” Frey says. “You can also mark it as lost to make it easier to track.”
Additional protections in Android 15 include:
The factory reset upgrade makes it more difficult for thieves to reset your phone and resell it. “Even if a thief manages to force a reset on a stolen device, this upgrade means they won't be able to set it up again unless they know the device or Google account credentials,” Frey said.
The Private Space feature lets you hide sensitive apps from people trying to steal your valuable data. This new feature “allows you to create a separate area within your phone that you can hide and lock with a separate PIN,” Frey said, adding that it will provide extra security for apps that contain sensitive data.
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