With a growing number of snatch and theft cases, Google announced at I/O 2024 that its upcoming Theft Detection Lock feature for Android will come as a savior. Android, with the help of its operating system, is set on combating privacy issues, security concerns, and theft incidents. The AI-powered feature is said to lock the device automatically when triggered during an incident.
Android heightens security with its New Theft Detection Lock, Private Space, Factory Reset Protection, and much more
The Android security features focus mainly on theft protection, anti-spam, and data protection, making it harder for snatchers and scammers to access Android phones. The Theft Detection Lock will automatically lock the phone when unusual motions are detected. Meanwhile, the Offline Device Lock is activated when away from an internet connection. This feature is expected to roll out for Android 10 and later versions later this year.
The Remote Lock helps you lock your phone in case you misplace it by simply entering your phone number. It involves completing a security challenge on the Find My Device and either recovering important information or wiping the data for protection.
With the help of Live Threat Detection, it would be increasingly harder for scammers to record sensitive data as malware would be identified on the victim's phone by utilizing on-device machine learning. Additionally, the app, with the help of Play Protect, gets sent to Google for additional review. As reported by 9to5google, this feature would be extended to Pixel, Honor, Oppo, OnePlus, Lenovo, and Nothing, among other manufacturers.
Google is also working on Factory Reset Protection to prevent snatchers from wiping data off a stolen device before reselling it. The factory reset cannot be carried out without going through Google account verification. Turning Find My Device off would also not work without going through biometric verification or the Passcode.
The Single App Screen Sharing feature would help limit access to screen sharing for certain apps. While the screen is shared, no notifications with OTPs (one-time passwords) could be seen, as the details would be censored. There is also the Private Space feature to ensure a second verification method is carried out before accessing confidential apps.
Google would further enhance the Play Integrity API by providing developers with confidential data apps, such as banking apps, with the option to include an integrity API. This would help detect any third-party apps installed. Before continuing with the user, the integrity checks can prompt users to delete the apps before they can resume using the specific app.
Google's AI-powered tool acts as a holistic three-step security method, where it does not just add protection before being snatched but also during the incident and after the phone is stolen. Google's added authentication requirement shares some similarities with Apple's Stolen Device Protection system. However, with the advancement of theft motion detection, it has even gone a step further.
