Google announced several new Android features and upgrades during The Android Show: I/O Edition. A handful of these are security and privacy tools Google hopes will protect users (and their data) from scams and theft. Android already has a suite of security measures — in-call scam alerts, anti-theft settings, and a lockdown mode called Advanced Protection — which the new features massively develop and strengthen. What’s new here.
Android will automatically eliminate scam calls to financial institutions
Google introduced a feature last year to protect against bank impersonators who might try to steal your login credentials or convince you to transfer money. In-call pop-ups warn you if you try to open financial apps while talking on the phone with unknown numbers so you can avoid sharing your screen with fraudsters. Now, Android will also attempt to verify calls purportedly from financial institutions and will disconnect the phone if it detects that the call is a scam. If you have a participating bank’s app installed on your device and you’re logged in, Android will use the app to verify validity. Initially, the feature will be available to Android 11 and higher users who bank with Revolut, Itaú, and Nubank – meaning it won’t apply to US customers just yet – but Google is hoping to expand to more institutions later this year.
Live Threat Detection is expanding how it detects malicious apps
Live Threat Detection is an AI-powered, on-device security feature that continuously scans apps’ activity patterns to identify anything suspicious and potentially malicious. At launch, it focused on stalkerware, but it has since become more robust in malware detection. Live Threat Detection will now check for SMS forwarding (if an app forwards a message to another number) and accessibility overlays, which use accessibility permissions to display content on your screen.
Later this year, Android 17 devices will also get Dynamic Signal Monitoring, which identifies suspicious patterns in real-time. You’ll be warned if apps abuse accessibility permissions, or take actions like changing or hiding their icons and launching in the background.
Anti-theft upgrades will make it harder for bad actors to steal your data
Google announced a handful of upgrades to deal with the consequences of device theft. First, “Mark as lost” on Android 17 will work with biometric authentication, so thieves won’t be able to get into your phone if they learn your device’s passcode or PIN. When Mark as lost is enabled, it will hide quick settings and block new WiFi and Bluetooth connections. On supported devices, bad actors will have fewer attempts to guess your passcode or PIN and longer wait times between unsuccessful attempts.
Existing Android theft protections – like Remote Lock and Theft Detection Lock – will now be enabled by default on new devices shipping with Android 17, as well as on devices that have been reset or upgraded to the latest OS. These features will also be available on Android 10 in select markets, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and the UK.
Finally, on Android 12 and higher, your phone’s IMEI can be accessed on the lock screen to quickly verify device ownership. (You can also disable it in your settings.)
What do you think so far?
Location sharing is getting a privacy upgrade
Android already has an option to disable precise location sharing in favor of approximate location. Moving forward, devices running Android 17 will be able to temporarily tap on a precise location when a specific app is open without the need to update settings or engage with repeated permission prompts. Temporary location access turns off when you close the app, so once you find a nearby coffee shop, your exact location won’t be visible. Users will also see a location indicator at the top of the screen and can tap it to see which apps have recently used their location.
Another privacy upgrade: Instead of full, blanket access to all the data in your address book, apps can now request specific contacts and even specific fields, so you don’t have to share everything.
Advanced security will be strengthened
Android Advanced Protection is more than most people need on a daily basis, but it offers strong protection for users at high risk of being targeted for fraud, scams, and theft. Pixel devices running Android 16 and higher will now have USB security, and all devices with the December update to Android 16 and newer are getting intrusion logging. (It’s currently underway.) The upgrade to Android 17 includes removing accessibility services from apps that aren’t accessibility tools, disabling device-to-device unlocking, and integrating scam detection for chat notifications.
Google is also introducing Android OS verification to make sure your device is running a legitimate build, and will hide OTP codes from most apps for up to three hours to prevent theft.
