Big free Android phone update has lots of clever tricks to prevent thieves from emptying your accounts

GOOGLE has revealed a range of new crime-fighting tools to stop thieves emptying your bank account.

The tech giant is introducing a smart theft detection lock feature for Android phones later this year.

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“Having a device stolen is unexpected and stressful, and it can be difficult to react quickly when it happens,” said Suzanne Frey, vice president of Product, Trust and Growth at Google.

“That’s why we created features that can automatically recognize suspicious signals and proactively protect your data on your device.”

One problem people face is that criminals physically rip their devices out of their hands as they innocently walk down the street, running with it open to break into accounts.

The shock can also leave victims unsure of what to do next at a critical moment, unaware that a criminal is doing much more than stealing their phone.

This new AI-powered automatic trick detects the movement associated with a phone being snatched from a person’s hands, followed by the rush as a thief runs, bikes or drives away with it.

Whenever this is detected, your screen will be locked so that at least your data is not easily accessible.

Google is also making life harder for thieves by adding another protection to Android phones.

If a criminal attempts to disconnect a stolen device for extended periods of time, Offline Device Lock automatically kicks in to lock the screen to help protect precious data even when the device is off the network.

Android will also be able to detect other crucial signs that your device may be in the wrong hands, such as excessive failed authentication attempts, which will also result in your phone being locked.

Another big improvement is coming to remote locking, which you’ll soon be able to activate simply by using your phone number and doing a quick security challenge using any device.

“This gives you time to retrieve your account details and access additional useful options in Find My Device, including sending a full factory reset command to completely wipe your device,” explained Frey.

And in a bid to make your stolen phone unsellable, Google is making it harder for criminals to factory reset it.

If a thief forces a stolen device to reset, they won’t be able to set it up again without knowing your device or Google account credentials.

Finally, there’s a new private space to hide sensitive apps, which are locked with a separate PIN.

TAKE SAFETY SERIOUSLY

Analysis by Jamie Harris, senior technology and science reporter at The Sun in San Francisco

Google holds a big event every year to talk about its big developments, but the focus so far has been on the buzzword of the moment, AI.

Now Android gets some love of its own – albeit with some AI thrown in too.

The raft and security updates seem simple enough on the surface, but they can make a big difference.

A mobile phone is stolen in London every six minutes, according to recent reports.

And these thefts don’t just lead to selling your phone, some criminals will dive into your apps and accounts looking for ways to take even more money from you.

Of course, many of these options you’ll have to enable once Android 15 arrives later this year, so take advantage before criminals take advantage of you.