Google can now lock your stolen Android smartphone automatically and protect personal data | Technology News
Google just made your Android smartphone a lot more resilient against theft. No, not physically, but if and when the phone is stolen, the new “theft detection lock” ensures the personal data is safe and that the phone is of no use to the thief.
The new feature, currently rolling out to Android smartphone users in the US, was spotted on the recently introduced Xiaomi 14T Pro and was first reported by Mishaal Rahman on Threads. Google is rolling out three major components of theft-related features: theft detection lock, offline device lock, and remote lock.
The new theft detection lock feature uses a machine learning model that can detect when a phone is snatched from a user’s hand and the thief tries to run away on foot or in a vehicle. When detected, the Android smartphone will automatically enter into theft detection lock mode, where the smartphone will get locked instantly, limiting the thief from accessing sensitive information stored on the phone.
Similarly, another feature called offline device lock will also be triggered if a thief tries to disconnect the phone from the internet for an extended period. Lastly, the remote lock feature enables smartphone owners to lock their stolen devices remotely using the Find My Device manager, ensuring users will have control over the data on the locked smartphone.
Google has been testing these beta features since August, and they will be rolled out to all eligible Android smartphones in the next few weeks. These features can be accessed from the Settings > Google > Google Services menu on eligible Android smartphones. Make sure that you are running on the latest version of Google Play services to experience all the latest anti-theft protection features by Google.
