Android users, fire up your feature search radar right now. Several important new security features are coming to Android devices. It may already be applied and waiting to be discovered.
ⓒ Google/JR Raphael
Are you surprised? But it’s true. While we’re idle, Google has been quietly rolling out important updates without being noticed. This feature provides anti-theft functionality.
This update centers around a system-level service called Google Play Services. Since the update is available from the regular Google Play Store, this means it will be distributed to all devices regardless of the smartphone manufacturer or mobile carrier. Therefore, unlike regular Android version updates, it is distributed immediately without delay (hooray!).
This piece of software magic can be found on any device running Android 10 or higher released in 2019. Of course, if your phone is running an older version of Android, you’ll have bigger security issues to worry about.
In Android 10 and higher, three noteworthy new Android security settings surface with just a few tweaks to the settings. Turning on all the appropriate switches will help keep your phone and all the data on it more secure.
Find out how.
Meet the new Android security trio
First, we explain in detail what exactly the new feature is and why it is important.
Last May, Google announced a new product designed to prevent device theft and better protect your data if your phone is actually stolen. Announcement of new Android security featuresdid it As always, these features were scheduled to be available “later this year.”
- Theft Detection Lock : It is an AI-based system that uses cell phone sensors to detect common behaviors such as forcibly taking a cell phone and taking it away in a hurry. When this behavior is observed, Android automatically locks the device immediately. Even if it is not necessarily stolen, it can make it difficult for children or pets living with you to access important information.
- Offline Device Lock : Similar to theft detection lock, but the method is slightly different. Android automatically locks the device when it detects unusual behavior that suggests someone else is using the smartphone, such as Wi-Fi or mobile data being disconnected for an abnormally long time or multiple failed attempts to unlock the screen. .
- Remote Lock : The final piece of the puzzle is an additional way to quickly and manually lock your device from afar without using Android’s Find My Device system.
Isn’t it simple? This feature will be especially useful if you use your Android device for very important work or sensitive personal work.
Currently, theft detection lock and offline device lock appear to be actively being applied to Android devices around the world. This includes Google Pixel smartphones as well as phones/tablets sold by Samsung and other manufacturers. However, these features are all disabled by default, so you must find them and activate them yourself. This requires some effort.
Strengthen Android security in just 20 seconds
The good news is that it doesn’t take long to do all of this, as long as you know where to look. So, set aside about 20 seconds in your schedule and try the following tutorial.
First, if you’re using a Pixel or another device that mostly follows Google’s standard Android interface.
- Go to System Settings (swipe down twice from the top of the screen, then tap the gear-shaped icon in the panel that appears).
- Scroll down and tap ‘Security & Privacy’.
- Tap ‘Unlock device.’
- In that area, look for the new ‘Theft Prevention’ section.
New ‘anti-theft’ option found on Google Pixel ⓒ Foundry
If you’re using a Samsung phone, follow these steps:
- Go to system settings.
- Tap ‘Security & Privacy’.
- Select ‘Additional security settings’.
- Look for the newly added ‘Anti-theft’ option.
‘Anti-theft’ option found on Samsung smartphones ⓒ Foundry
If you’re using an Android phone from a different manufacturer and none of these paths work, you can look for items related to anti-theft in the Security section of Settings or search for the phrase in System Settings.
If you don’t see anything yet, there’s no need to panic. This update is currently being actively distributed. You’ll definitely find it on some smartphones, including various Pixels and older Galaxy phones I own, but as with any normal update rollout, it’s likely to be done sequentially to minimize the risk of something going wrong and affecting a lot of people. be high. Therefore, it may take days or weeks to roll out to all users.
Simply put, wait a day or two and check again and you should see it soon. If you’re impatient, search for ‘Google Play system update’ in system settings, tap the line that says ‘Google Play system update’, and see if the update is listed as available in that area. After applying the update, perform the previous steps once again and that section will magically appear (see Intelligence Insider Thanks to @Djjstew).
Once that section appears, simply tap on it and activate the options within it.
Currently, Android’s new ‘Anti-Theft’ menu shows two of the three options introduced by Google. ⓒ Foundry
As you can see in the screenshot above, only two of the three features are currently available. This is true for all phones I have checked. The third function, remote locking function, is expected to be released separately in the future. At least you’ll be able to enable theft detection lock and offline device lock soon, if not now. You can also set a reminder to do so once a week or so until the missing item appears.
If you’re lucky, you’ll never actually need this feature. But if that happens, you’ll be glad you took the time to enable it, and you’ll be relieved that you have an extra layer of protection for your data on top of all the other Android security steps.
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