In Brazil, initial theft protection features for Android smartphones are now broadly accessible, but users need to opt in to activate them.
Why isn’t the company automatically implementing these protections on all eligible devices? Insights gained from the beta testing in Brazil led developers to this decision. “We discovered that user behavior varies significantly between urban and rural locations,” explains Jianing Sandra Guo, an Android security and privacy product manager at Google. She aims to minimize unnecessary complications for users who may not be interested in the anti-theft software.
Currently, Android users can turn on three protective features: Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock. If you’re interested in using these security features on your Android smartphone, here’s an overview of how the theft detection utilizes artificial intelligence and steps to enable the anti-theft functionalities.
How is Android Theft Detection Implemented?
Recognizing that many thefts involve violent actions or abrupt movements, Guo sought guidance from Google’s Activity Recognition team, which developed a related feature available on Pixel smartphones for car crash detection. “At a fundamental level, it begins with motion sensors,” she notes. However, an approach that relies solely on sudden movements could cause numerous false alarms, making the option more irritating than useful—and that’s where machine learning, a branch of AI focused on identifying patterns, becomes crucial.
The Google team examined various smartphone theft techniques employed worldwide and simulated the theft scenarios to create training data. “We act out those scenarios, then we gather the traces from the device,” says Guo. “We leverage AI to compile those traces into a model to anticipate when a snatching might occur.” This process for Android users is conducted utilizing on-device models.
The AI model is dynamic, with plans to continually incorporate new smartphone theft scenarios into the training data as criminals adapt their strategies. With the global rollout of these anti-theft features, developers can also gather insights on how a diverse group of smartphone users engages with these options.
How Can I Enable It?
First, check whether your phone is running a recent version of the Android operating system. Your device must be on at least Android 10 to leverage these three features, while the latest Android 15 software offers additional security options. It’s a straightforward initial step, but if you haven’t done so already, ensure that you add a passcode to your device by navigating to the privacy settings.
Next, launch the Settings app on your device and search for Theft protection. This section will present you with the three lock screen safety features. “It’s very common for smartphones to presume that the person accessing it is the legitimate owner,” Guo states. By implementing more methods to activate the lock screen, users gain extra safeguards if their phone is seized while unlocked. When the Theft Detection Lock is activated, the screen will automatically lock upon detecting a potential robbery, based on movement patterns and whether your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth remains connected.
With the Offline Device Lock feature turned on, your phone will lock the screen up to twice daily if the internet connection is abruptly lost or if airplane mode is activated. “From our market research, this is a frequent tactic employed after an unlocked device is taken,” Guo explains. Why would thieves prefer this? When a device is offline, it cannot be remotely reset using Find My Device, which would erase your personal information from the device.
The third lock screen security option on this page is Remote Lock. You’ll need to click on its name to access this toggle, unlike the first two options. This feature is intended to provide users with a quick, convenient method to lock their phone by visiting android.com/lock on any device and inputting their phone number. However, Remote Lock is limited to being activated only twice a day and requires the smartphone to be online.
