In the future, smartphones running the Android operating system may use artificial intelligence to detect when a thief steals the phone and takes off. Google recently announced this new feature at their developer conference, Google I/O in Mountain View. The AI will recognize common movements associated with theft and immediately lock the phone’s display to prevent unauthorized access.
This new anti-theft feature is a response to incidents where thieves have not only stolen smartphones but also used them to access online bank accounts linked to the devices. By adding an AI-activated screen lock, Google aims to make it harder for thieves to access data on stolen phones. Additionally, Google has added a protective measure to prevent stolen devices from being resold by requiring device or Google account information to set up a reset device.
Google is also introducing additional security measures to make it more difficult for thieves to unlock stolen Android smartphones. By preventing the PIN from being changed or theft protection from being deactivated without biometric confirmation, Google aims to make stolen devices unsellable. Android users will also have the option to set up a separate, secure area on their smartphones for sensitive data, further protecting their information.
These anti-theft features will be activated later this year through Google Play Services on smartphones running Android 10 or newer. More advanced features like factory reset protection and private storage will require Android 12, which is set to be released later this year. Users can expect enhanced security measures to protect their devices and data from theft and unauthorized access in the future.
