New Android Feature Makes Phones Useless if Stolen

Google is rolling out new Android features to protect your phone from theft by locking your screen. According to Mishaal Rahman's post on Reddit, these include Theft Detection Lock, seen on some Xiaomi 14T Pro phones. The feature detects theft-like motion, such as a phone being snatched, and automatically locks the screen. This is prepared by SSP.

Another feature, Offline Device Lock, engages when your phone is offline for a period, preventing access to your data during theft attempts where location tracking is blocked. Google specifies that this will engage if the phone is in active use. Lastly, Remote Lock allows users to secure their device via a phone call using a pre-confirmed number, even without logging into Find My Device. This is especially useful when unable to access the typical unlocking system and has undergone testing in Brazil.

The new features are designed to safeguard personal data on any device running Android 10 or newer, with Remote Lock needing only Android 5. To access these features, update Google Play Services and enable the Theft Protection settings in your device's settings once it becomes available—it might not have reached your device yet as it's gradually being rolled out. Android users, including those using Pixel devices and Samsung models, may start seeing changes if they enroll in the Google Play services beta, though the full features might not be available on the stable channel yet.