New theft protection features for Android smartphone users

Imagine driving home from a soccer match in Johannesburg and a thief suddenly smashes your car window and grabs your smartphone.

The incident can leave you feeling violated and unsafe because if you did not back your device, you may have just lost personal memories, like photos of your children, but most importantly, personal and financial information stored on the phone has now been compromised.

Cellphone theft

Mariam Abdullahi, director for Android Platform Partnerships for Africa at Google emphasised that smartphone theft is a serious concern in many countries across Africa, including South Africa, where a scenario like this highlight the need for better phone theft solutions.

“Smartphone usage is on the rise in Sub-Saharan Africa, with adoption rates reaching 61% in Kenya, 31% in Uganda, and 24-25% in Rwanda and Burundi.

“This increased uptake has been accompanied by a rise in cellphone theft, as these devices become attractive targets for criminals due to their resale value and sensitive data within. This poses a significant challenge that can have serious consequences for both individuals and businesses in the region,” Abdullahi said.

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Protect you phone

Abdullahi said while smartphone theft can be a traumatic experience, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk and protect personal information.

“That’s why we have developed and thoroughly beta-tested a full suite of features designed to protect you and your data at every stage – before, during, and after device theft.

These advanced theft protection features are now available to users around the world through Android 15 and a Google Play Services update (Android 10+ devices),” she said.

Theft Detection Lock

This uses powerful AI to proactively protect you at the moment of a theft attempt. By using on-device machine learning, Theft Detection Lock is able to analyze various device signals to detect potential theft attempts.

If the algorithm detects a potential theft attempt on your unlocked device, it locks your screen to keep thieves out.

To protect your sensitive data if your phone is stolen, Theft Detection Lock uses device sensors to identify theft attempts.

Abdullahi said the feature is rolling out gradually to ensure compatibility with various devices, with Android devices that cover 90% of active users worldwide.

“Check your theft protection settings page periodically to see if your device is currently supported.”

Offline Device Lock

This protects you if a thief tries to take your device offline to extract data or avoid a remote wipe via Android’s Find My Device. If an unlocked device goes offline for prolonged periods, this feature locks the screen to ensure your phone can’t be used in the hands of a thief.

If your Android device is lost or stolen, Remote Lock can quickly help you secure it. Even if you can’t remember your Google account credentials in the moment of theft, you can use any device to visit Android.com/lock and lock your phone with just a verified phone number.

Remote Lock

Secures your device while you regain access through Android’s Find My Device – which lets you secure, locate or remotely wipe your device. As a security best practice, we always recommend backing up your device on a continuous basis, so remotely wiping your device is not an issue.

“These features are now available on most Android 10+ devices via a Google Play Services update and must be enabled in settings,” Abdullahi said.

Advanced security to deter theft before it happens

Abdullahi said Android 15 introduces new security features to deter theft before it happens by making it harder for thieves to access sensitive settings, apps, or reset your device for resale:

• Changes to sensitive settings like Find My Device now require your PIN, password, or biometric authentication.

• Multiple failed login attempts, which could be a sign that a thief is trying to guess your password, will lock down your device, preventing unauthorised access.

• Enhanced factory reset protection makes it even harder for thieves to reset your device without your Google account credentials, significantly reducing its resale value and protecting your data.

Identity check

Abdullahi said Google is expected to launch Identity Check later this year.

“It is an opt-in feature that will add an extra layer of protection by requiring biometric authentication when accessing critical Google account and device settings, like changing your PIN, disabling theft protection, or accessing Passkeys from an untrusted location.

“This helps prevent unauthorised access even if your device PIN is compromised. By integrating advanced technology like AI and biometric authentication, we’re making Android devices less appealing targets for thieves to give you greater peace of mind,” Abdullahi said,

Abdullahi said theft protection features are just one example of how Android is working to provide real-world protection for everyone.

According to the GSMA Consumer Survey 2023, 19% of smartphone users in South Africa experienced theft or loss of their device in the past year.

The GSMA reports millions of devices stolen every year, and the numbers continue to grow.

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