SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 29, 2026, 01:25 PST
- Google expanded “Identity Check” so more biometric-protected apps get extra anti-theft gates
- Remote Lock now supports an optional security question to curb abuse
- Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock will switch on by default for new Android devices activated in Brazil
Google has rolled out fresh Android Theft Protection updates that broaden “Identity Check” to more apps and add a new optional security question to Remote Lock, as the company pushes to blunt phone snatches that quickly turn into account takeovers. (Google Online Security Blog)
The changes matter because a stolen phone is often the start of a wider theft, not the end of it. If an attacker gets past a screen lock, banking apps, password managers and account settings can fall fast, and victims may not notice until money moves. (TechCrunch)
Google’s Android security team framed the problem as financial fraud and said it wants protections that work “before, during, and after” a theft attempt, not just after the device is gone.
One of the main shifts is that Android 16 devices now get more control over Failed Authentication Lock, which can lock the screen after repeated failed sign-ins. Google is also stretching out the lockout time after wrong PIN, pattern or password attempts, while making repeated identical wrong guesses not count toward the retry limit. (Droid Life)
Identity Check is getting wider coverage, too. It is built around “trusted places” such as home or work, and outside those locations it can force biometric checks — fingerprint or face — for sensitive actions, even if someone knows the passcode.
Google said the expanded coverage now reaches features and apps using Android’s Biometric Prompt, the system pop-up that asks for fingerprint or face confirmation, including third-party banking apps and Google Password Manager.
On recovery, Google is adding an optional security question to Remote Lock, a browser-based tool that can lock a lost or stolen phone using a verified phone number. The company’s support guidance says Remote Lock still depends on basics such as a screen lock and an internet connection, and the security question is optional rather than required. (Pomoc Google)
In Brazil, Google is also switching on Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock by default for new devices activated in the country, an attempt to get protection in place before something happens. Theft Detection Lock uses on-device signals to spot a “snatch-and-run” pattern and lock the screen, the company has said. (Android Authority)
Google has been layering these theft defenses since at least 2024, when it flagged features such as Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and improvements aimed at blocking resale after forced factory resets. (Blog)
Rival ecosystems have chased the same problem from different angles. Apple’s Find My includes Activation Lock, which is designed to stop someone else from reactivating a lost or stolen iPhone, and it has also added “Stolen Device Protection” to raise security requirements away from familiar locations. (Wsparcie Apple)
There are limits. Some of the newest safeguards hinge on Android version support and device makers’ rollouts, and Google’s own guidance warns anti-snatch features can trigger during normal use and need quick unlocking to resume. Remote Lock, meanwhile, can fail if the stolen phone is offline or lacks a working SIM.
Google said it expects the changes to make devices “harder targets for criminals” and signaled more tweaks ahead as theft patterns shift. (Helpnetsecurity)
