Android 16 will introduce several new security features, including AI-powered novelties: Here’s what’s coming.
Google hosted its Android Show: I/O Edition on Tuesday to deliver all the Android 16 news that it won’t have time to discuss next week when I/O 2025 starts. That keynote will probably contain so much Gemini and AI talk that Android will only come up in passing.
Tuesday’s event had three big themes: Android 16 design, Gemini AI, and security. Security is of special interest lately, as hackers and scammers are now using AI to steal personal data and money from users. Thieves steal phones to sell them, and some try to extract user data from the devices beforehand. Also, some nation-states hack mobile devices to spy on high-value targets, from politicians to journalists to activists.
Google announced on Tuesday several big upgrades to Android that will keep you, your data, and your valuables safer than before. Some of these features are coming to Android 16 devices, while others will also beef up the security of older Android operating systems.Advanced Protection
This is easily one of the most important security features coming to Android 16 devices. Google will let people who are at risk of being targeted by hackers and spies enable this powerful new security tool. Advanced Protection will lock a device’s critical settings so that attackers cannot access them.
Advanced Protection will also log potential intrusions, prevent USB connections, and automatically disable joining insecure Wi-Fi networks.
Advanced Protection ensures that all Google apps respect the stronger security settings, including Chrome, Google Messages, and the Phone app. The feature will work with third-party apps in the future.
The list above gives you an idea of everything Advanced Protection can do for you on an Android 16 device.Improved anti-theft features
Android 16 will also improve the anti-theft features Google has already built into Android. Google said that Remote Lock and Theft Detection Lock were used to protect data on hundreds of thousands of devices that may have been stolen.
More recently, Google launched an Identity Check feature on Pixel and Samsung One UI 7 phones, offering additional safety if your phone’s PIN or password is compromised. The feature will be rolling out to more devices once Android 16 arrives.
