These Android features can protect your data if your phone is stolen
Google is reportedly introducing new features to help users better protect their data if their Android device is stolen. According to a new leak, the company has started rolling out three new features that will allow different ways to lock the device in case of theft. The Theft Detection Lock feature is said to use machine learning (ML) capabilities to detect if the phone is being snatched by a thief. Similarly, the Offline Device Lock feature locks the device if it is not connected to the internet for an extended period of time, according to the leak.
New Android theft protection features leaked
In one after on X (formerly known as Twitter), tipster Mishaal Rahman claimed that Google has started releasing three new Android features aimed at protecting user data. The first feature would be the theft detection lock. Rahman claimed that the feature uses an ML model that can detect when the smartphone has been snatched from the user’s hands by a thief who is on foot, on a bike or in a car.
Android theft protection features
Photo credit: X/Mishaal Rahman
Based on the description, it seems that the feature can be activated if a sudden change in speed or rough movements are detected. Once the feature is activated, the device will be automatically locked to protect the data from the criminal’s hands.
The second function is probably Offline Device Lock. The tipster claims that if a thief disconnects the device from the internet for an extended period of time (presumably to avoid being located), the device will automatically activate the screen lock. However, the leak did not mention the time period required to activate the feature and whether it can be customized by the user.
Finally, the third feature is called Remote Lock. It is said to be an improvement to Android’s existing Find My Device feature, which allows users to lock their device remotely. However, to access Find My Device, users will need their Google account email address and password. If they do remember the password, the Remote Lock feature can be quite useful. Rahman claims that this feature can remotely lock a device using its phone number.
According to the tipster, the first two features were seen on the Xiaomi 14T Pro, while the third feature was seen on Pixel devices. These features are planned to roll out to Android users in the US after entering beta in August.
