To Google’s beta Testing in Brazil, the initial range of anti-theft features for Android smartphones is now widely available – but you have to choose.

Why doesn’t the company automatically add the protection to every compatible device? Insight from the Basel beta test helped developers at the company make this decision. “We learned that users behaved very differently in metropolitan areas and in rural areas,” said Jianing Sandra Guo, an Android security and privacy product manager at Google. She doesn’t want to add unnecessary friction for users who aren’t that interested in the anti-feft software.

Three features that many Android owners can now enable are anti-theft lock, offline devices and remote lock. Curious about using these protective features on your Android smartphone? Here is a look at how the detection takes place with the help of artificial intelligence and steps to activate the anti-theft functions.

How does Android theft detection work?

Since many thefts can be violent or involve sudden, crazy movements, Guo sought advertising from Google’s activity recognition team, which has been working on a somewhat similar feature available on Pixel smartphones for detecting car accidents. ‘At a very high level it starts with motion sensors,’ she says. But an approach solely focused on sudden movements can lead to so many false triggers, and users are likely to find the option more annoying than beneficial — and that’s where machine learning, a part of AI focused on pattern recognition, in the game is coming.

The Google developers investigated the theft of smartphones used in different parts of the world and played the heist for training data. “We re-enacted those scenarios. Then we collect the trace of the device,” says Guo. ‘We use AI to compile the tracks into a model to try to predict the next time a twitch happens.’ For Android owners, this process is done using models on devices.

The AI ​​model is not static, and developers plan to continue adding new smartphone theft scenarios to the training data as criminals change their behavior. With the global launch of these anti-theft features, they can now learn more about how a diverse group of smartphone owners actually interact with these options.

How do I turn it on?

Check if your phone has a recent version of the Android operating system. Your device must be at least Android 10 to perform these three functions, and the latest Android 15 software gives you access to more security options. This is a basic first step, but if you haven’t already done so, also add a passcode to your device by going to the privacy settings.

Make the following Institutions app on your phone and search for Theft protection. Opening this tab will display the three security features of the Lock screen. “It’s very common for the mobile phone to assume that the person who has access to it is the rightful owner,” says Guo. By adding more ways to activate the lock screen, users have more protection if their phone is unlocked while they are open. When the Theft detection lock The screen automatically locks if it detects a potential robbery, based on movement patterns, and whether you’re connected to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

With Offline device lock If enabled, your phone will go to the lock screen up to twice a day if the internet is suddenly turned off for a while or airplane mode is activated. “From our market research, this is a common attack they carried out after taking an unlocked device,” says Guo. Why would thieves do this? If a device is offline, it cannot be remotely reset via My Device to clear your personal information on the device.

The third security option of the third lock screen available on this page Isolated lock. You have to click on the name to see this switch, unlike the first two options. The feature is designed to give you a quick, easily accessible choice to lock your phone by visiting Android.com/Lock on any device and entering your phone number. However, Remote Lock will only work and activate twice a day if the smartphone is online.