Google’s theft detection lock is now rolling out
Imagine if your smartphone was not only smart enough to know it was being stolen, but could also lock itself to prevent the thief from accessing your data. And all in the blink of an eye. You don’t have to imagine those notions anymore, because that’s exactly what this new feature, rolling out to devices running Android 10 or later, does. Say hello to Google’s new AI-powered theft detection lock feature.
Android Anti-Theft Detection Lock Timeline
Google first alerted Android users to news of upcoming anti-theft measures back in May, when Suzanne Frey, vice president of products, trust and growth at Google, revealed how three new features would help smartphone users before, during and after a theft.
Your smartphone is a valuable target for thieves, and not just because of the resale value of the device itself. In many ways, the data stored on the device is more valuable than the smartphone itself, as it can unlock a treasure trove of account access and personal information that can be used for cybercrime.
“To protect your device and data before, during and after a theft attempt,” said Frey, “we are introducing a new set of advanced theft protection features.”
Android OS guru Mishaal Rahman has taken to social media platform X to share the news that one of the most incredible anti-theft innovations, Theft Detection Lock, is now rolling out. The feature “is rolling out now to a limited number of users who have enrolled in the beta program in Brazil,” Rahman said, with distribution to all Android 10+ devices eventually planned to happen via Google Play Services.
What is Google Theft Detection Lock?
So what is Theft Detection Lock? Frey’s Google announcement calls it an “automatic, AI-powered screen lock for when your phone is snatched from you,” which pretty much sums it up. Essentially, Theft Detection Lock uses Google’s AI to determine if someone has snatched your smartphone by identifying the type of movement most commonly associated with such theft: snatching from the hand, followed by fleeing on foot, by bike, or by car. If the movement is deemed indicative of theft, the AI-powered feature will immediately lock your device to prevent the thief from easily accessing your data.
Of course, this isn’t foolproof and there are methods you can use to unlock a locked device, but anything that makes it much harder for an opportunistic thief is worth it. I would advise you to make sure you use a long PIN or password behind your face or fingerprint authentication to make things as difficult as possible. “Find My Device already lets you remotely lock or wipe a lost or stolen phone,” Frey said, “and you can now mark it as lost to make it easier to track.”
Additional protection features in Android 15 include:
A factory reset upgrade makes it harder for thieves to reset your smartphone for resale. “With this upgrade, if a thief forces a reset on the stolen device,” Frey said, “they won’t be able to set it up again without knowing your device or Google account credentials.”
A private space feature hides your sensitive apps from those who want to steal valuable data. This new feature “lets you create a separate space in your phone that you can hide and lock with a separate PIN,” Frey said, providing additional security for apps that contain sensitive data.
