Google Is Rolling Out An Anti-Theft Feature For Android, How To Check If You Have It

Phones are expensive, loaded with personal information, and easy to carry in one hand—that makes them prime targets for theft. Google has added numerous anti-theft features to Android over the years, and three new tools are rolling out to devices now: Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock.

You always have to balance convenience with security. A longer screen timeout saves you from repeated unlocking, but it can leave your data vulnerable if someone grabs your phone. Theft Detection Lock could solve that problem with a machine learning model that can detect when someone snatches your phone. The feature will automatically lock the device, protecting your data.

That's all well and good, but what if the thief is gentle? Offline Device Lock will take action if the internet is turned off, something phone thieves will often do in hopes of preventing the owner from locking or wiping the device. Offline Device Lock will activate if the phone is disconnected for an unspecified period of time. Similarly, Android devices will lock after failed login attempts.

Google has supported remote locking missing or stolen phones for years using its Find My Device system. However, this has traditionally required you to log into your Google account. That could be difficult to do on short notice if your stolen phone was used as a two-factor authenticator. Remote Lock will let you lock your phone using only a phone number and a quick security challenge.


Google announced all these features in May, saying at the time they would arrive later in the year by way of a Google Play Services update. All three anti-theft features started appearing in Brazil as part of a beta test in August. Google reportedly said the rollout was still on track for this year, and it appears to be delivering. However, the features appear to be arriving at different times. More users have reported seeing Theft Detection Lock than the other two.

There's nothing you can do to speed up the arrival of these features on your phone. As long as you're running Android 10 or higher, these tools will appear in the Security And Privacy menu in the coming weeks. Your phone should notify you when the features have arrived, but you can also check the menu yourself at any time.