Android 16 will bring this crucial anti-theft feature to more phones
Identity Check is coming to more Android phones with the Android 16 update
- With the upcoming Android 16 update, more Android phones will be getting access to Android’s Identity Check feature.
- Currently, only Pixel and Samsung phones have this feature.
- When Identity Check is enabled, biometric authentication will be required to change many critical security settings when the device is outside of a trusted location.
Smartphones are increasingly being targeted by thieves not for their monetary value but for the wealth of private financial data they contain. To combat the rise of phone theft, Google introduced several anti-theft features last year that make it harder for thieves to access data on stolen phones. One of these features, called Identity Check, prevents thieves from unlocking sensitive apps even if they know the phone’s passcode. Currently, Identity Check is only available on Pixel and Samsung phones, but it will be available on more devices with the upcoming Android 16 update.
Google released the Identity Check feature for its Pixel phones with the December 2024 Pixel Drop update, and Samsung introduced it to its Galaxy phones with its One UI 7 update. While no other device maker has announced their plans to implement the feature, we spotted it on the OnePlus 13 after installing the Android 16 beta. As part of Android’s suite of theft protection features, it is located under Settings > Google > Theft Protection.
