Google wants to make Android phones more secure from thieves and this new update may do exactly that.
Google has announced that it is working to offer enhanced factory reset protections on Android phones from later this year.
That should mean that a stolen Android phone is so difficult to use, it makes stealing them a waste of time for most thieves.
The idea is that a stolen Android phone is essentially bricked, unless the original owner – and that person alone – brings it back to life.
The feature, called Factory Reset Protection , or FRP, already exists on Android 15, but at the Google I/O event the company announced it would be even more powerful in the future.
The new version will mean that if anyone tries to use a setup wizard, bypass they will be required to enter the owner’s authorization to use the device at all. So it won’t even be able to work as a basic phone, unless the owner authorizes access again.
Since owners can activate the FRP process using Find My Device, it means the ability to remotely lock down the device if it goes missing. But, crucially, that owner is then able to reactivate the phone if found again.
What does Google say?
During the Google I/O Edition event, Google announced is plans to “further harden Factory Reset protections, which will restrict all functionalities on devices that are reset without the owner’s authorization.”
It showed a screenshot of an Android phone in FRP mode which suggests it will be able to detect if someone tries to bypass the setup wizard and then force another factory reset. This should prevent any unauthorized use – rending it useless to anyone but the original owner.
When is the new FRP update coming?
Google said this would arrive later this year. Since Android 16 is due soon, it is likely this feature won’t come with that.
Instead expect this security enhancement to roll out to Android devices in one of the Android 16 Quarterly Platform Releases, QRPs.
Luke has over two decades of experience covering tech, science and health. Among many others, Luke writes about health tech…
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