Google starts testing anti-theft feature on Android smartphones
Google is testing the automatic smartphone theft detection feature on Android, announced earlier at the I/O developer conference. The company chose Brazil to conduct the first tests, given the high crime rate in the country and the theft of smartphones in particular. This was reported by The Verge.
How does it work? Of course, with the help of artificial intelligence. The smartphone tracks its position and movements. If the device notices sudden movements typical of theft situations, it records that it has been stolen. After that, the smartphone automatically locks the screen to prevent the intruder from accessing its contents.
In addition to movement, other parameters are also used, such as an attempt to use the device on another network or a long stay outside the network that the smartphone owner often uses.
After that, the device cannot be easily reset to factory settings, and even after a forced reset, it will still require authentication to the owner’s account to continue working.
Google announced the automatic anti-theft feature as part of larger privacy and security improvements planned for Android 15, which also include a password-locked storage called “private space” where sensitive apps and data are stored. However, the theft detection feature will still work on older versions.