[LINK] Android 15 to have AI Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock

[Stephen Loosley]

Google AI mobile phone anti-theft and remote lock tool released for 
Android 15

Google’s Theft Detection Lock can sense when a phone has been snatched, 
and owners can remotely lock the device to protect data

South China Morning Post 17 Oct 2024 https://www.scmp.com/author/dpa


Google’s new range of security features designed to combat mobile phone 
theft – including an AI-powered tool which can sense when a device is 
snatched – have begun rolling out to users.

Theft Detection Lock uses artificial intelligence (AI) and sensors 
inside a device to identify when a thief has grabbed and fled with a 
user’s phone and locks the screen to prevent them accessing it or any 
data stored on it.

That feature is accompanied by a tool called Remote Lock, which enables 
users to remotely lock their device using just their phone number should 
it be lost or stolen, which Google said will help users who cannot 
remember their Google credentials in the moments after a theft, but 
still need to secure their personal data.

The tools are rolling out as part of Android 15, the latest version of 
the firm’s mobile operating system, having first been announced earlier 
this year.

[Photo caption: A screenshot of the new Theft Detection Lock function on 
the Android 15 update, available for all Google Pixel smartphone 
releases after the Pixel 6. Photo: Google]

At the time, the company said they were being introduced in response to 
ongoing concerns around rising levels of mobile phone theft, as well as 
feedback from its own staff and users in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the UK.

“Phone theft is a widespread concern in many countries – 97 phones are 
robbed or stolen every hour in Brazil, and a phone is reported stolen 
every six minutes in London alone,” Google said in a blog post about the 
new tools.

“With our phones becoming increasingly central to storing sensitive 
data, like payment information and personal details, losing one can be 
an unsettling experience.

“That’s why we developed and thoroughly beta tested a full suite of 
features designed to protect you and your data at every stage – before, 
during, and after device theft.”

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