Android phones are getting more anti-theft features

Google on Tuesday announced an expanded set of anti-theft features for Android, which are designed to make its mobile devices less vulnerable to criminals. The company said that building on existing tools such as theft detection lock, offline device lock and others introduced in 2024, the newly launched updates include stronger authentication guarantees and improved recovery tools.

While iPhones are often favorite targets for thieves due to their resale value, Android devices are also vulnerable to theft. This is especially true for high-end Android smartphones like Google Pixel Pro devices, premium foldable devices, and other premium devices from well-known manufacturers like Samsung.

With the new features, users of Android devices running Android 16 or above will have more control over the Failed Authentication Lock feature that automatically locks the device after a large number of failed login attempts. Users will now be able to access the dedicated on/off toggle switch in the device settings.

The devices will also provide stronger protection against a thief trying to guess the device owner’s PIN, pattern or password by increasing the lockout time after failed attempts. In addition, Identity Verification, a feature introduced for Android 15 and later last year, now covers all features and apps that use biometrics – such as banking apps or Google’s password manager.

Remote Lock, a tool that lets you lock a lost or stolen device from your web browser, will now include an optional security challenge or question. With this feature available for Android 10+, only the real device owner can initiate the lock for added security.

In Brazil, two anti-theft features will now be enabled by default, including theft detection lock, which uses on-device AI to sense movement that could indicate a “snatch-and-run” theft. The Remote Lock feature will also turn on automatically and can be accessed from the website android.com/lock.