Google has launched a new security feature for Android 15 that will help protect users’ digital accounts from phone theft. The feature, called Identity Check, requires biometric authentication to access certain account and device settings when the user is not in a trusted location, such as at home or at work.
Image source: Google
Identity Check protects such important settings as changing the device’s PIN code, disconnecting theft protection, turning off the Find My Device function, reset the device to factory settings and a change in biometric data. “A stolen device that fell into other people’s hands can reveal confidential data, making you vulnerable to theft of personal data, financial fraud and confidentiality violations,” Google explains in his blog dedicated to the launch of the function.
Note that the function first appeared in test mode in December last year as part of the Pixel DROP update and will become available for Samsung Galaxy devices with the latest version of the One UI 7 firmware update with Galaxy AI artificial intelligence. Later, in the same year, it will appear on devices of other manufacturers.
Previously, Apple introduced a similar feature, called Stolen Device Protection, to prevent cases where attackers observe the password being entered on an iPhone, then steal the device, and then use the password to access personal information or lock the owner out of his account.