Minimise the impact of phone theft by protecting your data and your device with security features.
Important: You're using an older Android version. Some of these steps work only on Android 15 and up. Check your Android version.
Theft protection
Important:
- Some of these steps only work on Android 10 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.
- These features aren't supported on Android Go devices, tablets and wearables. Support may also vary based on your smartphone device model.
- To turn on these features on a supported device, the device must have a lock screen set. Learn how to set screen lock on an Android device.
To turn on Theft protection features:
- Go to Settings
.
- Select Google.
- Tap All services
Theft protection.
Theft protection.To manage features on a supported Android device, select this link.
Turn on Theft Detection Lock
Theft Detection Lock uses AI, your device's motion sensors, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to detect if someone unexpectedly takes your device and runs away. If Theft Detection Lock detects that your device is taken from you, it automatically locks your device's screen to protect its content. For example, if someone grabs the phone out of your hand and they run, cycle or drive away, Theft Detection Lock may activate.
Important:
- When the device's screen is locked, Theft Detection Lock is not active.
- To limit interruptions during regular device use, Theft Detection Lock may not trigger when:
- Your device has either a stable Wi-Fi connection, Bluetooth connection or both.
- If there were repeated locks in a short period of time.
- To protect your sensitive data if your phone is stolen, Theft Detection Lock uses device sensors to identify theft attempts. This feature is being rolled out gradually to ensure compatibility with various devices, starting with Android devices that cover 90% of active users worldwide. Visit your Theft Protection Settings page periodically to check if your device is supported.
To turn on Theft Detection Lock:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Google
- Turn on Theft Detection Lock.
- If the setting for 'Theft Detection Lock' is greyed out, your device doesn't support this feature.
Turn on and use Remote Lock
If your device is lost or stolen, to quickly lock your screen, you can use Remote Lock with a verified phone number.
Important: To use Remote Lock, you must have:
- A screen lock
- An active SIM card on your device
- Device with a verified phone number
- Find My Device turned on
- Your device online
If your device is offline when you send a lock screen request via Remote Lock, its screen locks automatically once it's online. Once your device's screen is locked remotely, it can only be unlocked locally with your screen lock. The device's screen can be locked remotely twice in a 24-hour period.
To turn on Remote Lock:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Google
- Tap Remote Lock.
- Turn on Remote Lock.
- To complete activation, you need a verified phone number.
- If your phone number isn't verified:
- Tap Verify number.
- Turn on Automatically verify phone numbers.
If you lose your phone or suspect that it was stolen:
- Go to android.com/lock.
- Enter your phone number.
- Complete a reCAPTCHA challenge.
- Ask for the device to be locked.
- Shortly after, the phone screen locks.
Tip: To wipe, secure or erase your device data remotely after you lock your device, you must sign in to Find My Device. Learn how to use Find My Device.
Turn on Theft Offline Device Lock
After your device goes offline, Offline Device Lock automatically locks your device screen to protect your data. For example, if someone steals your phone and turns off the Internet to prevent you from finding it with Find My Device, your device locks after a short period of being used offline.
Important:
- Your phone must be unlocked when it loses Internet connectivity.
- The screen can be locked twice in a 24-hour period.
To turn on Theft Offline Device Lock:
- Go to Settings
- Tap Google
- Turn on Offline Device Lock.
To protect your data from thieves and unauthorised access, Android theft protection includes additional features that are designed to protect your data. These include:
- Failed authentication lock: Locks phone screen after consecutive failed authentication attempts across the device when signing in to apps or operating system functions protected by user logins.
- Protect sensitive settings: Restricts unauthorised access to sensitive administrative operations by requiring PIN, password or biometric authentication for actions like disabling Find My Device or extending screen timeout.
- Private space: Hide and organise apps in a separate space. Learn how to hide sensitive apps with private space.
Important:
- Some of these features work only on Android 15 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.
- By default, failed authentication lock and protect sensitive settings are turned on and require a lock screen.
To ensure that unauthorised individuals won't have easy access to your data and information, use a strong PIN with six or more digits, a pattern with a complicated sequence, or a password that you don't use on other websites or applications.
Even if you use biometrics, you'll still want a strong password in case an unauthorised individual tries to override your biometric protections. Learn how to set screen lock on an Android device.
Biometric authentication, like fingerprint or facial recognition, provides both security and convenience. Devices with biometric recognition make it harder for unauthorised individuals to access your phone and, at the same time, does not impede user experience. Users are strongly encouraged to set up biometrics for authentication. For the specific setup steps, please refer to your device manufacturer for additional information and assistance.
This can be useful in times when you share a device with someone that you don't fully trust, or you're in a public place. You can pin a screen to lock your device to only one app and it remains in view until you unpin with your PIN, pattern or password.
When you pin a screen, you can use the device but only for a selected app. Learn how to pin and unpin screens.
Many apps provide additional security when you:
- Add a PIN or password.
- Use biometrics (fingerprint, face recognition).
- Use two-step verification to unlock your device.
For apps with sensitive or important information, like finance, payment or social apps, search for additional security options to add under the security or privacy settings.
For websites that support them, passkeys are a secure way to sign in without a password. Learn how to sign in to your applications and websites with passkeys.
If your Android device has been stolen or you're not sure if it's been taken, you can find, secure or erase its data remotely. If you've added a Google Account to your device, Find My Device is automatically turned on.
- You can lock the screen and log yourself out of your Google Accounts on the device.
- You can view the location of your device using the Find My Device app or web page. If you're unable to retrieve it, you can mark it as lost.
- You can erase your device data and factory reset your device.
Before your device is lost or stolen, make sure that you're signed in to your Google Account and ensure that your location setting is on and Find My Device is enabled. Learn how to use Find My Device.
If you lose your device to theft, you may also lose important data that you cannot replace. To protect against this, you should enable device backup to ensure that your data is preserved and you can factory reset your device without losing your data. Learn how to back up and restore data on your Android device.
Your phone has a unique serial number, and a unique IMEI number assigned by a mobile network operator. This can be helpful for your mobile network operator to find your phone or pause services in case it is missing. If you report a stolen phone, the police may also ask for your serial number and IMEI number. Learn how to find your phone's IMEI number.
To find your IMEI number:
- Go to Settings
- Select About phone.
If your device is lost or stolen, an unauthorised individual can use your SIM card within your device to control your phone number. To prevent your SIM from being used without your authorisation, protect your device SIM with a PIN.
You'll be asked for your SIM PIN whenever you turn on your device or the SIM is inserted into a different device.
To set up a SIM PIN:
- On your Android device, tap Settings
- Tap SIM lock
Tip: Some operators have a default PIN, which is available to the public. For stronger protection, it's recommended to change it.
Information from notifications in the lock screen might give unauthorised individuals information that they can use to access your data. To prevent this, you can control what notification content is shown on the lock screen. Learn how to control notifications on Android
To hide notifications on the lock screen:
- On your device, tap Settings
- Tap Notifications on lock screen.