Latest news with #RadioHAL3.0
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Android 16 fake cell tower notification explained: Step‑by‑step guide to protect against stingray devices
Android 16 update: Android 16 fake cell tower alert is now one of the standout security upgrades in Google's latest update, offering real-time warnings if your device connects to a potentially unsafe or unencrypted tower—commonly known as a 'Stingray.' This network notifications toggle, tucked into the revamped Mobile Network Security settings, empowers users by flagging any switch to insecure connections or attempts to access device identifiers. Though not automatically enabled, it underscores Google's renewed commitment to privacy and proactive protection in an era of rising surveillance risks. As Android 16 rolls out on compatible smartphones, this feature serves as a crucial alert system—helping you stay one step ahead of stealthy network threats. Read on to learn how to make the most of it. What are fake cell towers? Also known as 'Stingray' devices, fake cell towers intercept calls and SMS messages by masquerading as legitimate mobile towers. These tools are often used in surveillance and can compromise your privacy without your knowledge. What does Android 16's new feature do? Android 16 is adding a 'mobile network security' page within the Safety Centre under Settings → Security & privacy. It includes: Network notifications toggle – When enabled, Android will alert you via a notification and the Safety Centre if your phone switches between encrypted and unencrypted networks. 2G network protection toggle – It lets you turn on or off 2G connectivity, which is inherently less secure. How do you enable the feature? Go to Settings and tap on Security & privacy. Open the safety center Under Mobile network security, enable the Network notifications toggle. Optionally, activate 2G network protection to prevent your device from using 2G. By doing this, your phone will notify you whenever it connects to an unencrypted tower, offering an extra layer of protection. Device compatibility The new feature requires support for Android's Radio HAL 3.0. Currently, it's only available on devices that ship with Android 16, not on existing Pixel devices upgraded to the OS. Google leaves hardware requirements up to manufacturers so that availability may vary across models. How does this fit with Google's privacy strategy? This isn't Google's first move to combat cell tower exploits. Android 15 warns users if a network requests unique device identifiers (like your IMEI), and Android 12 introduced the option to turn off 2G entirely. Android 16's fake-cell-tower notification is a crucial upgrade for anyone concerned about mobile privacy. Though hardware limitations mean not all users will see it immediately, it marks a significant step forward in protecting everyday mobile data. For the latest and more interesting tech news, keep reading Indiatimes Tech.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Android 16 will warn if you are connected to a fake ‘Stingray' cell tower
From banking details to pictures of friends and family, smartphones are a treasure trove of personal information. And while you can take all the precautionary measures to keep sensitive data safe, some attacks are very hard to protect against. One of these is the infamous stingray attack, which intercepts all your phone calls and SMSes. Often used by surveillance agencies around the world, the attack works by tricking your smartphone into connecting to a fake cell tower. However, a new feature coming with Android 16 might be able to warn you if you are being snooped on. With Android 16, Google is reintroducing the 'mobile network security' settings page as part of the Safety Center, which can be accessed by heading over to the Security & privacy tab in the Settings app. Here, you will see two subsections – 'Notifications', which features a toggle named 'Network notifications', enabling which will allow Android to warn if your phone connects to any unencrypted network or when it asks about your phone's unique identifiers. However, this toggle is disabled by default. When enabled, Android will display a message in the notification panel as well as the Safety Center whenever your phone switches from an encrypted to an unencrypted network or vice versa. The second subsection – called '2G network protection' is a toggle that lets you disable or enable the phone's 2G connectivity. It is also disabled by default. One thing to note here is that the feature might only be available with devices that come with Android 16 out of the box, as these devices will support Android's Radio HAL 3.0 drivers. However, the 'Mobile network security' page will only be visible when your device supports both of these features, which is why it is missing from any of the current Pixel devices running Android 16. But a Google policy that allows smartphone manufacturers to decide the hardware requirements at launch might mean that we won't be seeing the feature on any of the current devices. Also, this isn't the first time Google has tried to block Stingray attacks. On Android 15, the operating system will warn users when a network asks for a device's unique identifiers, like the IMEI number. A few years ago, when the tech giant rolled out Android 12, it added an option that allowed users to disable 2G connectivity.
