Skip to main content

This Android update could stop your phone being stolen

Android 16 logo on Google Pixel 6a standing on a table.
Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends

Google wants to make Android phones more secure from thieves and this new update may do exactly that.

Google has announced that it is working to offer enhanced factory reset protections on Android phones from later this year.

Recommended Videos

That should mean that a stolen Android phone is so difficult to use, it makes stealing them a waste of time for most thieves.

The idea is that a stolen Android phone is essentially bricked, unless the original owner – and that person alone – brings it back to life.

The feature, called Factory Reset Protection , or FRP, already exists on Android 15, but at the Google I/O event the company announced it would be even more powerful in the future.

The new version will mean that if anyone tries to use a setup wizard, bypass they will be required to enter the owner’s authorization to use the device at all. So it won’t even be able to work as a basic phone, unless the owner authorizes access again.

Since owners can activate the FRP process using Find My Device, it means the ability to remotely lock down the device if it goes missing. But, crucially, that owner is then able to reactivate the phone if found again.

What does Google say?

During the Google I/O Edition event, Google announced is plans to “further harden Factory Reset protections, which will restrict all functionalities on devices that are reset without the owner’s authorization.”

It showed a screenshot of an Android phone in FRP mode which suggests it will be able to detect if someone tries to bypass the setup wizard and then force another factory reset. This should prevent any unauthorized use – rending it useless to anyone but the original owner.

When is the new FRP update coming?

Google said this would arrive later this year. Since Android 16 is due soon, it is likely this feature won’t come with that.

Instead expect this security enhancement to roll out to Android devices in one of the Android 16 Quarterly Platform Releases, QRPs.

Luke Edwards
Luke has over two decades of experience covering tech, science and health. Among many others, Luke writes about health tech…
Your current iPhone battery could last longer with iOS 19, thanks to AI
iOS 19 leak renders with squircle icons.

Imagine downloading a software update for your current iPhone and the battery life getting extended. That could be a reality thanks to iOS 19.

According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, we can expect iOS 19 to leverage AI in such a way as to actually improve battery life efficiency on iPhone.

Read more
From Android 1.0 to Android 16: How Google’s mobile OS has evolved since 2008
Android 16 logo on Google Pixel 6a kept on the edge of a table.

Google I/O 2025 will be livestreaming next week, and software developers from Google are expected to unveil Android 16, which is slated to come out before the summer. The upcoming Android software update is expected to bring a host of new features as well as some returning mechanics from a decade ago.

To hold our excitement for the upcoming conference over, we're going to take a stroll down memory lane with a complete history of Android, from its humble beginnings as a T-Mobile-exclusive mobile tech to an AI-advanced software to grace contemporary smartphones like Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25. Android has come a long way since 2008, and it has a long way to go to be the best mobile software for everyone. That being said, here's a full timeline of Android's evolution.

Read more
Google Chrome is getting an AI-powered scam sniffer for Android phones
Scam warning from Chrome on Android.

Google’s Chrome browser has offered a rich suite of privacy and safety features for a while now. Take, for example, Enhanced Safe Browsing, which was introduced back in 2020. It protects users against unsafe websites and files by using real-time threat detection. 

Three years later, Google switched it from an opt-in mode to a default safety protocol to guard users against phishing attacks, bad extensions, and malicious downloads. Now, the company is deploying its Gemini Nano AI to safeguard smartphone users against potential online scams, especially those hiding as a tech security warning on webpages.

Read more