Google starts rolling out new theft protection features for Android phones

Android Theft Protection

Announced at the I/O 2024 developer conference in May this year, Google has officially begun rolling out its new advanced theft protection features for Android phones. These features, as per Google, are designed to enhance security and safeguard personal data in the event of phone theft. The three new features will be available for phones running Android 10 or later versions.

There are three new theft protection features — Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock.

The Theft Detection Lock feature uses Google AI to sense if someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike or drive away with it. If a theft motion is detected, it will be quickly locked down to keep your information out of the wrong hands.

The Offline Device Lock feature kicks in if a thief tries to disconnect your phone for prolonged periods of time. The feature automatically locks your screen to help protect your data even when your device is off the grid. Android can also recognise other signs that your device may be in the wrong hands.

In case your phone has been stolen, then Remote Lock feature can come in handy.  You'll be able to lock the screen of your phone with just your phone number and a quick security challenge using any device. “This buys you time to recover your account details and access additional helpful options in Find My Device, including sending a full factory reset command to completely wipe the device,” notes Google in a blog post.

The features are seeing a global — but gradual — roll out. Some users have already got the features whereas others may get it later. We checked on two Android phones but couldn’t see them, so it may take some time before the theft protection features reach all Android users.