How to enable the new theft protection feature on your Android phone

Android 15 came full of new features and capabilities, but Google also reminded us of some features that are available to devices with previous Android versions. Such is the case of the AI-supported theft protection feature. Let’s go over what this feature is all about, and help you enable it on most devices running Android 10 or newer.

What is theft protection on Android?

Theft protection is a feature that Google introduced alongside Android 15. It uses AI to detect if someone forcefully took your phone from your hands and ran away.

You’ll also find added features within this setting to further protect your private data and information. For example, the system can lock your device if it goes offline, as it’s common for thieves to turn on Airplane Mode after stealing devices.

There’s also Remote Lock, which makes it possible to use the device’s phone number to lock it. You just need to go to android.com/lock, enter the phone number, and hit Lock device.

Of course, you can always use Find My Device for these secondary features, but it’s nice to have options, and the Theft Detection Lock is certainly a nice bonus.

How to enable theft protection

Now that you know what this feature is all about, it’s time to learn how to enable theft protection on Android 10 or newer devices. It will come disabled by default, so make sure to turn theft protection on, as you never know when your phone will get stolen. Best be prepared!

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go into the Google option.
3. Tap on All services.
4. Scroll down to the Personal & device safety section.
5. Select theft protection.
6. Enable Theft Detection Lock.
7. Tap on Turn on to confirm your selection.

On this page, you can also enable Offline Device Lock, Remote Lock, or tap on Find & erase your device to look into your Find My Device options.

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