Google Just Updated These Android Theft Protection Features

Phones are valuable targets. If someone can steal your device, especially if they know how to break into it, they have access to a huge amount of your sensitive data. As such, good security features can mean the difference between losing that data, or protecting it entirely—even if your phone is long gone. Google has a number of anti-theft features baked in Android, appropriately called “Theft Protection Features.” While the company isn’t announcing a slate of new features today, it did announced new updates to its existing Android Theft Protection features in a post on the company’s Security Blog Tuesday. Here’s what’s new:

Google’s updated Theft Protection Features for Android

First, the company announced updates to authentication safeguards, which apply to all Android devices running Android 16 or newer. That includes a new dedicated toggle in settings for Failed Authentication Lock, which automatically locks your screen after someone tries to guess your…