Google’s New Android Update Fights Phone Theft
▼ Summary
– Google has introduced new Android theft protection features, including stronger authentication safeguards and enhanced recovery tools, to make smartphones harder targets for thieves.
– Key updates include granular controls for the Failed Authentication Lock feature and an expanded Identity Check that requires biometrics for sensitive actions outside trusted locations.
– The company has improved defenses to prevent accidental lockouts and make it harder for thieves to guess PINs by increasing lockout times after failed attempts.
– For new devices in Brazil, Google will enable Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock by default, with the latter also updated to include an optional security challenge.
– These authentication safeguards require Android 16 or later, while the enhanced recovery tools are available on devices running Android 10 or later.
Google is rolling out a significant security update for Android devices, introducing more robust authentication safeguards and improved recovery tools designed to deter smartphone theft. This initiative strengthens existing defenses to protect user data and financial information throughout a theft attempt, from the initial moment a device is taken to the eventual recovery process.
The Android Security Team emphasized that modern phone theft often transcends the simple loss of hardware. “Phone theft is more than just losing a device; it’s a form of financial fraud that can leave you suddenly vulnerable to personal data and financial theft,” they stated. The latest features aim to address this by making stolen phones far less useful and accessible to criminals.
A key enhancement involves the Failed Authentication Lock feature. It now offers users more control through a dedicated settings toggle, allowing them to enable or disable the function that automatically locks the screen after too many incorrect login attempts. Google has also refined this system to prevent accidental lockouts, such as those caused by a child playing with a phone. Repeated incorrect guesses from the same failed attempt no longer count toward the retry limit, and lockout times increase progressively after failures, making it harder for a thief to guess a PIN, pattern, or password.
Another major upgrade expands Identity Check. This security measure, which requires biometric verification for sensitive actions outside of trusted locations like home or work, now applies universally. It automatically protects any app using the standard Android Biometric Prompt, including Google Password Manager and popular third-party banking applications, ensuring an extra layer of security is always in place.
For recovery, the Remote Lock tool has been improved. Accessible from any web browser, it now includes an optional security challenge to verify the device owner’s identity before initiating a remote lock, adding a safeguard against misuse.
In Brazil, Google is taking a proactive stance by enabling two features by default on newly activated Android devices. These are Theft Detection Lock, which automatically locks the phone if it senses a sudden “snatch-and-run” motion, and the enhanced Remote Lock capability.
The availability of these updates depends on the Android version. The new authentication safeguards require devices running Android 16 or later, while the enhanced recovery tools are accessible on a broader range of hardware, specifically Android 10 and later.
This security push follows other recent initiatives. Late last year, Google expanded its in-call scam protection to work with several major U.S. financial apps, including Cash App and the JPMorgan Chase mobile banking application. This feature, introduced in Android 16, alerts users to potential risks if they launch a financial app and share their screen during a call with an unknown number.
(Source: Bleeping Computer)
