Android security updates are important, and you should install them as soon as they’re available. If you’re using a Samsung phone, even the government is asking you not to ignore this latest update.
Google has consistently been hard at work improving Android with new security features every now and then. Samsung is doing its best to spread awareness about these features. The smartphone maker has partnered with the UK Home Office to spread the word about these features and get Galaxy owners to enable them on their devices.
It has issued a public safety security message alert, which is expected to reach more than 40 million Samsung account holders in the UK alone this week. The outreach is handled through “customer communication channels and the Samsung Members platform,” according to its announcement.
Yadullah Abidi / MakeUseOf
In case you didn’t get the announcement, Samsung is talking about the Theft protection suite of features that make your Android phone easier to recover in case of theft. The suite consists of three main features at the time of writing:
- Theft Detection Lock: The feature automatically locks your phone if it detects it has been snatched from your hand.
- Offline Device Lock: Locks your screen automatically shortly after your phone goes offline.
- Remote Lock: Lets you lock your phone remotely using just a phone number.
Another important feature is Identity Check, which requires biometric authentication in unfamiliar locations before letting you change sensitive security settings on your phone. The feature is currently available on Pixels and Samsung phones running One UI 7. More manufacturers are expected to start rolling out these features with the upcoming Android 16 release.
One feature that’s currently exclusive to Samsung phones is Security Delay. If you’ve got this feature enabled and a robber tries to reset your biometric authentication data, your Galaxy phone will automatically go into an hour-long delay before the changes take effect. This gives you some time to remotely lock your stolen phone from a PC or tablet.
Don’t Let Thieves Get Away With Your Phone
These features aren’t anything new. If you’re one to dig around in your phone settings from time to time, chances are you’ve already spotted them, as long as you’re using a Pixel or Samsung phone. So if you haven’t already, head over to your phone settings, search for Theft protection, and enable these features right away.
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Of course, the best protection is where your phone doesn’t get stolen at all, but software can do little here. Enabling these features doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get your phone back after losing it to a swiper, but you’ll protect your data. With the amount of sensitive information your smartphone holds, that’s a significant amount of damage you’ll be limiting.
