Tech giant Google unveiled a new array of anti-theft security features for Android 15 at this year’s I/O developer conference. Now, the company is rolling out the first of the much-awaited anti-theft offerings, as spotted by Mishaal Rahman.
This includes a theft detection lock that is designed to restrict any kind of unauthorized access. Other features will soon follow such as the remote locking device and online device lock. For now, the Android maker launched the theft detection lock to a small group of Brazilians as the first beta.
It’s a sigh of relief for many in the country whose crime rates for theft continue to peak. Thanks to feedback from users, Google says it has been working on the launch for quite some time now and is happy to see the beta in action.
The feature makes use of sensitive smartphone sensors that restrict unauthorized access before the incident takes place. It begins to take shape when the device senses any uneventful happening such as a theft attempt. Therefore, it puts the system into complete lockdown mode.
This way, data is protected at all times through remote locking or wiping the phone after ID verification. Interestingly, this feature includes another added security layer by adding an automated lock if someone tries to stay offline for long.
The system makes use of advanced AI to highlight possible theft by highlighting specific patterns. It could be specific movements of the phone or other clues left behind like bizarre network activity.
Meanwhile, if the phone connects to unfamiliar networks or is absent from the usual network, the feature starts to speed up security at a fast pace automatically.
While the beta is rolled out for a limited number of users in Brazil, the company promised that it’s coming to more Android devices very soon. They hope the goal of getting more privacy and security updates in the latest Android is fulfilled soon. Similarly, such detection features for theft are not limited to just the Android 15. We will see Google include it in older versions of Android too.
The feature will undergo an expansion for the Android 10 and new devices via a new update through the Play Store. Slowly but surely, users around the globe will benefit from the rollout as more anti-theft offerings are also on the way. So far, no timeline has been provided but if things continue at this pace, we should see it soon.
Image: DIW-Aigen
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