A new Android feature locks the screen if your phone is stolen

Google is introducing a new set of features to make it easier for thieves to access your data. That’s according to Mishaal Rahman, who posted on Reddit that these features would be coming in the new update after seeing that his Xiaomi 14T Pro phone now has theft detection lock and offline device lock – two of the three features Google announced in May. Others say they only see a third one, called a remote lock.

The flashiest of the new features is Theft Detection Lock, which uses artificial intelligence to lock your screen when it detects “common theft movement,” such as when someone snatches your phone from your hand. Meanwhile, Offline Device Lock locks your device’s screen when it’s offline for a period of time, and Remote Lock allows users to lock their phone using just their phone number when they can’t sign in to Find My Device with a password.

So far, I can’t see any of the features on my Pixel 6. You can see screenshots of the new feature settings in Rahman’s overnight Threads post below.

Theft detection lock and offline device lock are supported on any device running Android 10 or later, and for remote lock you need at least Android 5. If you don’t already have these features, you can try updating Google Play Services, although Google tends to provide new features will be added gradually rather than all at once, so if you’re like me, you may have to wait.