Three new theft protection features announced by Google earlier this year are reportedly being rolled out on Android devices. These tools—Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, and Remote Lock—are designed to allow users to quickly secure their devices in the event of theft, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data. Mishaal Rahman, an Android reporter, shared on social media that the first two features have appeared on the Xiaomi 14T Pro, while some Pixel users have started to access Remote Lock.
The Theft Detection Lock is activated when a phone is physically snatched. Google stated in May that this feature utilizes Google AI to detect if someone takes a phone from a user’s hand and attempts to run, cycle, or drive away, consequently locking the phone’s screen.
Offline Device Lock automatically secures the screen if a thief disconnects the phone from the internet. Although Google’s Find My Device already provides the capability to remotely lock a phone, the new Remote Lock feature simplifies this process by allowing users to secure their phone using just their phone number and a quick security challenge from any device, without requiring them to recall their Google account password.