If you have an Android device, Google announced at their I/O Conference in May 2025, new security and privacy features for Android which are being released as part of Android 16.
These new security and privacy features have already been released to phone manufacturers, and for those with a compatible Android device the new features will start being rolled out in the next few months.
If you have an Android device, what do these new features mean for you?
These new features include:
- new protections for calls
- screen sharing
- messages
- device access, and
- system-level permissions.
Google aims to protect Android device users from falling for a scam, keep their details secure in case a device is stolen or taken over by an attacker, and enhance device-level security for various attacks.
Messages Protection
Google is enhancing protection against scams in Google Messages. The new feature uses on-device AI to alert users of a potential scam based on the conversation. The company is increasing security by having the tool detect more types of fraud.
Theft-protection measures
With Android 16, Google is rolling out a new feature called Identity Check Protection that was made available to Google Pixel and Samsung OneUI 7 devices earlier this year.
This feature requires users to use biometric authentication, that is fingerprints and/or facial recognition, to change critical settings like changing your device PIN or biometrics, disabling theft protection, or accessing Passkeys when the user is not at one of the trusted locations they have added.
Later this year, Google is adding better protection to the Factory Reset function which restricts all kinds of functions on the device that are reset without authorisation of the previous lock pattern/PIN or Google account credentials. This essentially makes a stolen device harder to use.
If you would like help and/or advice about whether your Android device is compatible with the new features; or would like help implementing them, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.