Google launches Identity Check, a new location-based security feature, and completes roll-out of AI-powered theft detection

Theft of mobile devices is a crime that is not going away any time soon. Phones are now completely central to so many aspects of life, and the theft (or loss) is about much more than the monetary value of the device itself. There is great potential for a thief to gain access to a wealth of information via a stolen phone.

This is why the security of mobile devices is so important, and it is why Google is taking steps to limit the impact of theft. A new feature that is starting to roll out is Identity Check, which requires the use of biometric authentication whenever your device is in an unknown or untrusted location. The company is also harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for good, using AI-powered tools to detect thefts.

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The thinking behind Identity Check is that when your mobile device is detected in an unusual location, there is a chance that it is not in your possession. With this in mind, whenever your phone is used away from your trusted places, additional identification authentication through the use of biometrics and more are implemented.

If it is you using your phone in a different place to normal, there is the minor inconvenience of having to provide your fingerprint -- something that a thief is not able to do.

Launching the security feature, Google says:

We’re officially launching Identity Check, first on Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices eligible for One UI 7, to provide better protection for your critical account and device settings. When you turn on Identity Check, your device will require explicit biometric authentication to access certain sensitive resources when you’re outside of trusted locations. Identity Check also enables enhanced protection for Google Accounts on all supported devices and additional security for Samsung Accounts on One UI 7 eligible Galaxy devices, making it much more difficult for an unauthorized attacker to take over accounts signed in on the device.

As part of enabling Identity Check, you can designate one or more trusted locations. When you’re outside of these trusted places, biometric authentication will be required to access critical account and device settings, like changing your device PIN or biometrics, disabling theft protection, or accessing Passkeys.

Support is due to expand. In the initial stages, rollout is limited to Pixel devices with Android 15, before widening to include One UI 7 eligible Galaxy devices in the coming weeks. Later this year, it will roll out to supported Android devices from other manufacturers.

Google has also completed the rollout of Theft Lock Protection. Available globally on devices running Android 10 and above, the feature is another way to lock thieves out of stolen phones:

Theft Detection Lock [...] uses an on-device AI-powered algorithm to help detect when your phone may be forcibly taken from you. If the machine learning algorithm detects a potential theft attempt on your unlocked device, it locks your screen to keep thieves out.

You can find out more about Theft Detection Lock, including learning how to enable it, here.