Android 16 can tip you off if someone is snooping on you using 'stingray' devices

What you need to know

• Android 16 will be able to sniff out fake cell towers and shady networks, giving you a heads-up before your phone spills your secrets to data thieves.
• These fake towers fool your phone into connecting, then quietly steal your location and data.
• Android 15 laid the groundwork by spotting weird network behavior and flagging device ID grabs or encryption tampering.

Android 16 is bringing a new security upgrade that sniffs out sketchy cell networks and fake towers to give you a heads-up if something shady pops up, keeping data thieves off your trail.

Some cell networks are imposters. These simulators, known as "stingrays," mimic legit towers, fooling your phone into connecting and quietly leaking your location and messages. If your device connects without your knowing, your private data’s basically up for grabs.

To tackle this issue, Android 16 is getting a new security feature that spots sketchy network connections and warns you if someone is trying to snoop on your calls or data.

That said, this security upgrade won’t work on current Android phones. As Android Authority pointed out, the hardware just isn’t there yet. The first device expected to support it is the upcoming Google Pixel 10.

Google has been prepping for this fight

Google has been quietly cracking down on stingray spying for a while. With Android 15, the tech giant baked in smarter defenses that catch when a network tries to grab your phone’s unique identifiers or mess with encryption. These features don’t just block the tricks; they also alert you when something shady is going on.

With Android 16, Google is beefing up your phone’s defenses with the addition of the “Mobile network security” setting. It’ll flag sketchy stuff, like unencrypted connections or networks fishing for your device ID, both common stingray tricks. You’ll also be able to shut off 2G entirely, cutting off one of the easiest ways for snoops to get in.

Stingrays aren’t just for law enforcement

While law enforcement agencies have used them for surveillance, they’re not off-limits to shady individuals either. That’s what makes them so dangerous. Google's move here is a major step toward keeping your phone conversations and data safe from these silent threats.

The newest Android update, which arrived earlier this month, brings these security upgrades. Supported devices now get a toggle for “network notifications."

Flip it on, and your phone will alert you if it connects to an unencrypted network or if that network tries to grab your device's unique identifiers. Both are red flags for shady stuff like stingray attacks.