Latest news with #TheftDetectionLock
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Google's new anti-theft feature with Android 16 may make stolen phones useless: Report
Google may soon introduce a feature to enhance its anti-theft capabilities which will leave stolen phones almost useless. The feature will be introduced with Android 16, according to a report by Android Police. While Google already has a series of anti-theft features, some thieves and hackers have found ways to circumvent them, said the report. The new feature, which is basically an improved version of its Factory Reset Protection feature with Android 16, was introduced during 'The Android Show: I/O Edition', according to the report. While the Factory Reset Protection (FRP) prevents unauthorized use of a phone after factory reset without owner's credentials, the new feature will "restrict all functionalities on devices that are reset without the owner's authorization," said the report. Google did not elaborate on the feature, however, a screenshot shown during the presentation gave more insight into it. Under this new feature in Android 16, if someone tries to skip the set up process on a stolen device, they will be presented with a warning and forced to do a factory reset. All functionality of the device will be blocked until the correct screen lock or Google account details are entered, according to the report. This update would be much stricter than the feature in Android devices which allows stolen phones to be used for things such as making calls. Theft Detection Lock - Theft Detection Lock uses AI, your device's motion sensors, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to detect if someone unexpectedly takes your device and runs away. If Theft Detection Lock detects your device is taken from you, it automatically locks your device's screen to protect its content. For example, if someone grabs the phone out of your hand and they run, bike, or drive away, the Theft Detection Lock may activate, says Google. Remote Lock- If your device is lost or stolen, to quickly lock your screen, you can use Remote Lock with a verified phone number. To use Remote Lock, you must have: a screen lock, an active SIM card on your device, device with a verified phone number, Find My Device turned on, and your device should be online. Offline Device Lock - After your device goes offline, Offline Device Lock automatically locks your device screen to protect your data. For example, if someone steals your phone and turns off the internet to prevent you from finding it with Find My Device, your device locks after a short period of being used offline. Identity Check - To verify your identity, Identity Check requires biometrics and other safeguards. Your identity gets verified when you perform sensitive actions on your device or make changes to your Google Account outside trusted places. Some of the above mentioned features work only on Android 15 and up.
GSM Arena
15-05-2025
- GSM Arena
Google is making Android 16 significantly more secure and fraud-resistant
Google is implementing new security features and bringing older ones under the Advanced Protection Program with Android 16. The goal is to improve the device's security and protect people from scammers, especially high-risk groups like journalists and high-ranking officials. The best part is that all of the security features are activated once Advanced Protection is activated, which basically requires you to tap on a toggle to turn it on. You don't need to have any sort of expertise in the field. In fact, the enabled security features cannot be turned off easily as that action would require user credentials. Security features that involve apps will be available only to Google apps before expanding to third-party software. With Android 16, users will have access to secure device logs that cannot be edited and can only be accessed by the user. During a call, the system blocks risky actions that are easily exploited by scammers. For instance, you won't be able to turn off Google Play Protect, you cannot install unverified apps from browsers or messaging apps or grant apps permissions to take control of the device's core functionalities. Android 16 will also elevate the security of banking apps. Google is working closely with UK banks for now such as Monzo, NatWest and Revolut. During a screen sharing session, the system would prompt the user to end the call when launching a banking app as this is one of the most common ways for fraudsters to extract sensitive information from users. Google is also leveraging AI to filter out scam and spam messages when using Google's default Messages app. The AI will also spot malicious on-device activity by apps, as some try to hide or change icons. The machine-learning algorithm constantly scans for text or binary patterns to spot potential malware. The new features will coexist with older ones like Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock. Source
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Android 16's Advanced Protection mode is almost ready for prime time
Android 16 is expected to introduce the Advanced Protection feature to greatly enhance device security. Newly surfaced screenshots give us a good look at the feature, while detailing what functions will be restricted. The new menu will disable 2G connections and restrict WEP Wi-Fi, while activating security features like Theft Detection Lock and Offline Device Lock. Since October last year, we've known about Google's plans to bring an Advanced Protection mode to Android 16. This is supposed to be an extension of the Advanced Protection Program that lets individuals apply additional safeguards to their Google accounts from threats of hacking. But the version debuting with Android 16 takes it further by making Advanced Protection features accessible to everybody with the help of a simple toggle in the Settings. We're now getting a good look at this new menu that could likely appear with Android 16. Thanks to some tinkering within Android 16 Beta 4, the folks at Android Authority managed to enable the Advanced Protection menu from the Settings app, giving us a good look at all the device protection features this toggle will activate. We caught an early glimpse of this menu in February with the Android 16 Beta 2 release, though this new revelation paints a better picture. Source: Android Authority Google makes it clear what features will be missing with Advanced Protection enabled, detailing a total of six "device protection features." Based on past reporting on Android 16's Advanced Protection mode, we've learned that 2G connections will be disabled, while WEP Wi-Fi connections will be restricted, too. These newly published screenshots and the video corroborate those findings and clarify what the other items do. Features like Theft Detection Lock and Offline Device Lock are part of the equation here, providing the necessary protection in case you lose your device. Apps like Google Phone and Google Messages are naturally included under Advanced Protection to help avoid spam calls/messages. Thanks to the addition of the AdvancedProtectionManager API with Android 16 Beta 2, we know that third-party app developers will be able to tell when a user has enabled Advanced Protection. This will let the developers tweak their apps to accommodate the new security features. We can see this being useful in secure messaging or banking apps that need to keep things tightly locked down. Furthermore, Advanced Protection on Android will restrict downloading apps from unknown sources and enable MTE (Memory Tagging Extension), which spots vulnerabilities in the device's memory. Lastly, users will be warned when visiting non-HTTPS pages on their device's browser, with Android Safe Browsing also included. Given that we've seen work on this feature since October last year, coupled with the fact that it's appeared in a couple of Android 16 betas since then, it's safe to assume that Google will debut Advanced Protection features when the software goes stable next month, provided there are no last-minute hiccups. We may not have to wait until June to learn more about these features, as Google has recently confirmed it will stream an episode of "The Android Show" on May 13 to offer "a special deep-dive" of the operating system. However, the company will have "more special announcements and surprises" during its annual I/O conference a week later.
