Back in May, we first heard about a new Theft Detection Lock feature coming to Android phones. Now, it looks like this extra layer of protection is starting to roll out to users, adding a safeguard in case your phone gets stolen.
This rollout was spotted by well-known tipster Mishaal Rahman, with Brazil being the first country to receive the update. But don’t worry—the rest of the world should be catching up soon. Google previously mentioned that the feature would be arriving on phones “later” in 2024.
So, what does Theft Detection Lock do? According to Google, it will “automatically recognize suspicious signals and proactively protect your data on the device.” In simpler terms, it uses AI to detect if someone has stolen your phone and then takes action to secure it.
The AI algorithms are designed to identify movements typical of a theft, like a quick grab followed by rapid movement away from the scene.
How It Works As the name suggests, Theft Detection Lock will lock your phone if it thinks a theft is happening. If your phone gets locked by mistake, all you need to do is unlock it as usual to access your apps again.
This feature will eventually be available on all devices running Android 10 or higher, which means most modern phones will be covered. If your device isn’t made by Google, it might take a little longer for the update to reach you.
Theft Detection Lock is part of a broader set of protection features being added to Android. For example, your phone will also lock if there are multiple failed login attempts or if it’s taken offline for a long time.
Lastly, whether you’re using Android or iOS, it’s a good idea to make sure your phone is registered with the built-in location tracking feature. This way, if your phone does get lost or stolen, you can lock it or even wipe it remotely.
