It looks like Google has dropped a whole new set of security features, a triumvirate of locks that will make your data much safer in case of theft: Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock.
Users of Apple’s iPhone are quick to brag about the added data protection that the device, along with the iOS platform that powers it, brings to the smartphone security party. Google is often seen as the poor relation in this regard when it comes to Android devices, but the reality is that both smartphone giants are doing everything they can to ensure that user data is safe and secure. The latest move by Google, as spotted by Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman, a person well-respected for leaking Android update news before most people get wind of it, involves a triple-locked functional update for Android security. Back in September, I wrote about how Rahman had found evidence in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 code that an identity check is in place that, as I said at the time, would not be invoked “when apps invoke the biometric prompt dialog with a PIN -code /password/pattern fallback.” What this means is that if someone were to steal your Android phone, even if the thief knows your unlock PIN by shoulder surfing you, they wouldn’t be able to access the device without a biometric match. The three new features for Android users now take post-theft data protection into a new and even more secure area.
Android Triple Lock Security Feature Update Starts Rolling Out, Leaker Says
A recently published post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Rahman suggests that the triple lock security update has started rolling out to users globally. This follows his original post on the platform from October 5, where Rahman said that one of his Android devices, a Xiaomi 14T Pro, had been upgraded with anti-theft lock and offline device lock, but not remote lock, while others apparently had said they had remote locking but not the other two.
While I’m yet to see any of the three features hit my Android smartphones, I’m based in the UK so there may be some geographic lag, here’s how the triple lock features work based on what Rahman has noticed so far.
- Theft Detection Lock – this uses an AI, machine learning model to determine if someone has “snapped” your smartphone from your hand and then made off with it, whether on foot, bike or even in a car. Once this determination is made, Android will use the registry lock feature to lock your device and thus block access to the data. Once assumed that the previously mentioned identity verification feature would also start and stop the device from being unlocked using a PIN under these circumstances.
- Offline Device Lock – this automatically locks your device’s screen if someone after stealing it tries to keep the smartphone away from the internet for an extended period of time. People have been known to put the device in airplane mode and disconnect from the internet to prevent it from being blocked remotely.
- Remote Lock – this allows you to remotely lock your phone when you cannot log into the official Find My Device functionality with your password. As long as you know your phone number, you can lock the device.
You can learn more about the triple lock security feature triumvirate from Google itself. In an announcement on May 15, Android’s vice president of product, growth and trust, Suzanne Frey, said that users should watch for the features rather than giving any expected release timeline. That time seems to be now.
“We’re committed to keeping your device and data safe on Android,” Frey said, “we’re constantly developing new protections to help our users around the world.”