Google can now lock your stolen Android smartphone automatically and protect personal data

Google just made your Android smartphone a lot more resilient against theft. No, not physically, but if and when the phone is stolen, the new “theft detection lock” ensures the personal data is safe and that the phone is of no use to the thief.

The new feature, currently rolling out to Android smartphone users in the US, was spotted on the recently introduced Xiaomi 14T Pro and was first reported by Mishaal Rahman on Threads. Google is rolling out three major components of theft-related features: theft detection lock, offline device lock, and remote lock.