Although thieves can’t be stopped, Android has a tool to help keep your personal data protected and secure in the event your smartphone is stolen.
With Theft Detection, your handset uses AI to sense if someone snatches your phone from your hand and then tries to flee the scene. If this is detected then your phone screen will automatically lock to avoid thieves from accessing your data.
There’s also the accompanying Offline Device Lock which automatically locks your handset to keep your data protected when it’s offline for a certain amount of time.
Not only are these tools incredibly useful and offer extra peace of mind, they aren’t just limited to Android 15 handsets. In fact, Android has rolled these features out via a recent Google Play update to devices running Android 10 and later.
Keep reading to learn how to enable theft protection on your Android handset.
What you’ll need:
- An Android handset running Android 10 or later
The short version:
- Open Settings
- Tap Google
- Tap All services
- Tap Theft protection
- Turn on Theft Detection Lock
- Toggle on Offline Device Lock
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Step
1Open Settings
You’ll find the Settings app in your App Library. We’ll be demonstrating using a Google Pixel device however the steps should be similar on handsets running Android 10 and later.
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Step
2Tap Google
You will need to scroll down towards the bottom of the page to find this.
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Step
3Tap All services
Make sure the All services tab is selected, as by default it may open to the Recommended tab instead.
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Step
4Tap Theft protection
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find this.
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Step
5Toggle on Theft Detection Lock
Once you tap the toggle on Theft Detection Lock, a pop-up will then appear which has more information detailed about the tool. Tap Turn on.
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Step
6Toggle on Offline Device Lock
Once Theft Detection Lock is enabled, you have the option to turn on Offline Device Lock too. Similarly, simply tap the toggle to turn it on and follow the steps.
Troubleshooting
If the option to enable theft protection isn’t there, you should check for any outstanding software updates.
If Theft Detection is greyed out and can’t be selected then this means your device doesn’t support this feature.
Yes, iPhones have a similar tool to protect your handset from theft. Coined Stolen Device Protection, this feature enables certain actions to have extra security requirements when your iPhone is away from recognised locations.
