New functions

Google AI to protect smartphones from theft

At its I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California, on Wednesday, Google presented a new theft protection system for Android smartphones. In future, the devices will use artificial intelligence to recognize when a thief snatches the device from the owner's hand and flees the scene of the crime.

If the AI recognizes a common movement associated with theft, the phone's display will be locked immediately, according to Google. This is the company's response to numerous incidents in which thieves have not only managed to snatch smartphones from the hands of unsuspecting passers-by from a moving motorcycle, for example, but have also used the unlocked device to cause further damage to their victims immediately after the theft. For example, the online bank accounts linked to the smartphone were often plundered. The screen lock activated by the AI prevents thieves from simply accessing the data in future.

Resetting made more difficult
Google is also putting up another protective wall to make it more difficult for criminals to resell a stolen Android smartphone. If a thief resets a stolen device, he can no longer set it up without knowing the device or Google account data. "This makes a stolen device unsellable, which reduces the incentives for phone theft," explained Google.

In January, Google's competitor Apple expanded a similarly functioning anti-theft protection for the iPhone and made it virtually impossible for thieves to unlock it with the iOS 17.3 operating system.

Google is now following suit: In the event that the lock code could be spied on by the thief, Android can prevent the PIN from being changed or theft protection from being deactivated if this is done from an untrusted location (such as home or work). In this case, a change to important account and device settings must be confirmed with a biometric feature (fingerprint or face scan).

Hidden data vault
Android also makes it possible to set up a separate area on the smartphone for sensitive data, hide it and lock it with a separate PIN. This can provide additional protection for apps with health or financial information, for example.

Most of the anti-theft functions presented will be activated via Google Play services on smartphones with Android 10 or newer in the course of the year. Android 10 has been on the market since 2019. Some functions, such as protection when resetting to factory settings and private storage, require Android 15, which will be introduced later this year.