ANDROID owners need to turn on these new life-saving tools to lock their phones in case a robber on a moped snatches their phone.
With more than 200 smartphones being compromised every day, smartphone anti-theft protection is more urgent than ever.
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Google announces three new anti-theft features to quickly stop thugs from accessing your personal information
First up is a theft detection lock that utilizes AI.
If it senses a quick change in your phone’s movement, indicating that your phone has been grabbed, your device will automatically lock down.
This means that even if a thug gets away with your phone, they won’t be able to access your personal information.
Next up is Offline Device Lock.
If a thug disconnects your phone from the internet and takes it “offline,” Android will be able to sense that something dangerous may be going on.
This is especially true if there are repeated authentication failures.
In that case, your phone will be locked automatically.
The third and final tool “provides a lifeline if your phone is already lost,” Google says.
It’s called remote lock.
As the name suggests, this feature can “buy you time” when you find yourself away from your phone and need to lock it quickly.
To access your remote lock on any device, simply enter your phone number and complete a simple security challenge.
You can then recover your account details, access Find My Device, or wipe your device from a distance.
“Find My Device” can already lock your lost phone, but it can sometimes cause you to panic and forget your password.
All three features will be available to owners of Android 10 and later through an update to Google Play Services later this year.
The announcement comes after the Home Office revealed that the overall rate of theft from individuals has increased by more than a third.
In September, The Sun newspaper explained how the government and Home Office intend to work with tech companies to tackle crime.
Police Minister Diana Johnson said: “The Government is determined to do whatever it takes to protect people who have the right to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.”
“Telephone companies should be able to quickly and easily permanently disable stolen mobile phones, rather than re-registering them for sale.”
“Together, we can help governments, tech companies, and law enforcement disrupt the business models of phone thieves and moped gangs that rely on this trade.”
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