On Day 2 of its annual developer conference, Google unveiled a new update for mobile users – Android 15 Beta 2, which is now available to download on select Google Pixel smartphones (Pixel 8-series, Pixel 7-series, Pixel 6-series, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet), as well as Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Sharp, TECNO, Vivo, and Xiaomi smartphones.
Aiming to enhance user interface and privacy, the latest iteration of Android brings a host of new features along. These include Private Space (allowing users to hide sensitive applications like finance, banking, and dating), Theft Detection Lock (an AI-backed anti-theft feature that automatically locks your phone), improved Factory Reset Protection (preventing thieves from factory resetting the stolen device), and Remote Lock. Google's security enhancements around factory resets will be rolled out as part of Android 15, while some of the other updates (such as Theft Detection Lock, Remote Lock, Offline Device Lock) will arrive later this year.
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While the Factory Reset Protection feature will be limited to Android 15-powered devices, Google is working toward making the device lock feature available to Android 10+ smartphone users. Let's delve into the details of the said features:
Theft Detection Lock is an advanced anti-theft feature which offers protection before, during, or after a theft attempt. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify sudden motions that might be associated with the theft, such as 'grabbing of the phone, changing hands, and then an attacker running, biking, or even driving away with a device'. If any of these happens, the smartphone automatically locks itself, even if it has no active internet connection. This aims to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive personal data.
Next is the updated Factory Reset Protection feature. To enhance protections before you lose a smartphone, Google has introduced an upgrade to the Android’s factory reset protection. With this upgrade, if thieves force a factory reset of the stolen devices, they will not be able to set it up again without the requisite Google account credentials. This, according to Google, 'renders a stolen device unsellable, reducing incentives for phone theft'.
Remote Lock enters the game after the device gets stolen. It allows you to remotely lock the screen of your phone with just your phone number and a quick security challenge using any device. This gives you time to recover your account details and access additional options in Find My Device, including sending a full factory reset command to completely wipe the device.
Google's Private Space lets you create a secure space where you can hide sensitive applications from prying eyes using your fingerprint or a distinct passcode on Android 15. It acts like a digital locker for the personal information you want to keep safe.
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The apps within your Private Space can be updated through a separate Play Store app, and will also have a dedicated storage area inaccessible to other apps on the smartphone.
