Android Launches New Theft Protection: Here's How It Works

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Smartphone security is now strong enough that a stolen device is unusable if the thief doesn’t have the unlock code. However, more and more criminals are now making sure they have the code before they take action. This has led Apple to strengthen the security of the iPhone by requiring biometric identification before allowing certain actions, such as changing the code. And the good news is that Google now offers a similar feature for its Android operating system.

The idea is simple: prevent a thief from changing your settings or your code, even if he has managed to unlock your smartphone. Called Identity Check, it requires biometric identification (fingerprint or facial recognition) to change important settings, when the smartphone is in an unknown location. When activating, the user will therefore have to provide a list of places where this protection is not useful, such as their home or workplace.
Thanks to this update, Android's anti-theft protection is getting closer to that of the iPhone. But, unfortunately, the deployment of this new feature is starting on Pixel smartphones and Samsung Galaxy under One UI 7. And we don't yet know when the firm will start deploying Identity Check on products from other brands.

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Theft-detecting AI is now everywhere

As a reminder, Google also offers an equivalent of Apple's Find My network, which allows you to locate a lost or stolen smartphone, even when it is disconnected. In addition, the firm has also developed an AI that, by analyzing data from motion sensors, detects when the device may have been stolen from its owner. And in this case, the lock is activated automatically.

This new feature was announced in 2024. And according to Google, it is now available for all products using Android 10 or a newer version.

• Some smartphone thieves obtain the codes of their targets before taking action
• To better protect Android users, Google is offering a new feature called Identity Check
• Thanks to this, a thief who knows your code will not be able to change it without your fingerprint or facial recognition
• This new feature, which is currently being rolled out on Google Pixel and some Samsung models, resembles a protection that is already offered by Apple on the iPhone
• Google also announces that its AI that detects thefts is now available for all devices running Android 10 or a newer version

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