Android Phones Are Getting More Anti-Theft Features

An anonymous reader shares a report: Google on Tuesday announced an expanded set of Android theft-protection features, designed to make its mobile devices less of a target for criminals. Building on existing tools like Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and others introduced in 2024, the newly launched updates include stronger authentication safeguards and enhanced recovery tools, the company said. [...] With the new features, users of Android devices running Android 16 or higher will have more control over the Failed Authentication Lock feature that automatically locks the device after an excessive number of failed login attempts. Now users will have access to a dedicated on/off toggle switch in the device's settings.The devices will also offer stronger protection against a thief trying to guess a device owner's PIN, pattern, or password by increasing the lockout time after failed attempts. Plus, Identity Check, a feature rolled out for Android 15 and higher last year, now covers all features and apps that use biometrics -- like banking apps or the Google Password Manager.

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