Google AI mobile phone antitheft 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
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.
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 in the UK.
