Google is planning to make stolen Android smartphones virtually unsellable by improving its Factory Reset Protection (FRP) feature, Android Authority reports. The update is designed to make it harder to use devices that have been factory reset without the owner's permission.
FRP is now activated after a reset via the Android recovery menu or Find My Device, requiring verification of ownership by logging in to the associated Google account or entering the PIN, password, or pattern of the previous lock screen. Failure to do so renders the device unusable.
However, attackers have learned to bypass this protection by skipping the setup wizard. Google announced during The Android Show: I/O Edition that a new FRP update will be able to detect such attempts and force a factory reset until the owner confirms ownership of the device.
These improvements are expected to become available later this year, likely as part of one of the quarterly Android 16 updates. This innovation should significantly reduce the number of smartphone thefts, as stolen devices will become unfit for resale.