Android has activated a new anti-theft mode: how to use it on your phone
Cell phone theft is on the rise in many countries. In Argentina, according to some estimates, criminals steal around 10,000 phones every day. The vast majority of incidents occur in the city of Buenos Aires and its surrounding areas.
Since mobile phones have become indispensable tools for almost any task, including managing bank accounts, and contain valuable information , having them stolen is a real headache.
In an attempt to help recover the mobile, for a few years now operating systems have offered the function Find My Device which uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS to find it.
Of course, as things stand, it's quite difficult for the police to conduct a search. And thieves often take their phones to places inaccessible to networks. So, it's better to take other precautions .
Anti-theft protection. It doesn't prevent theft, but it does protect data. Photo: Shutterstock.
The new anti-theft protection for the Android operating system , present in most mobile phones used in Argentina, began rolling out in Brazil in 2024 at Google I/O, and is now available in many other countries. Incidentally, despite its name, it doesn't prevent mobile phone theft, but it does protect the data on it.
Android protection consists of three tools that don't come enabled by default . Therefore, they must be activated to try to prevent thieves from accessing your personal data.
The most notable anti-theft protection is the one that detects when the device is removed from the hand. This is the most vulnerable moment because shortly before the theft, it would likely be unlocked. This way, criminals could easily access all the information .
To prevent this, Android uses the phone's motion and positioning sensors, as well as connectivity systems, to detect if someone has accidentally stolen it.
If the phone detects that this has indeed happened, it will automatically lock so the attacker cannot access the information. This will require a PIN or fingerprint.
In addition to Anti-Theft Lock, Android includes an Offline Device Lock option. This is also very useful, as it allows the device to automatically lock when it doesn't detect a connection, providing another way to protect sensitive information.
Android protection doesn't come standard, but it's easy to activate.
You can also lock your screen remotely through this site . Just enter your phone number once you're logged in with a Google account.
These tools are available to all users of mobile devices running Android 10 or higher through Google Play Services .
To activate these anti-theft tools, follow these steps :
- Enter the mobile settings (gear wheel)
- Open the Google section
- Click on All services
- Tap Anti-theft protection under Personal & device security .
- Turn on Anti-Theft Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock , if necessary.
Clarin
