What you need to know
- At the Android Show, Google highlighted massive upgrades to your security and privacy on its software.
- Location access is becoming more transparent, meaning users can more easily when and which apps have access their location to manage them.
- Better protections against banking scams are on the way, alongside "Mark as Lost," which introduces a biometric layer to protect your phone if it gets stolen.
You can't have an Android Show without the Android OS showing up in some way, and Google's doing that by highlighting better security and privacy.
Stronger controls that users can directly put to use are coming to Android 17 this year. Google highlighted during the Android Show that it's introducing a "temporary precise location" button. The company says this might be useful to users who want to know where a cafe is around them or perform other quick tasks. Since this is something you'd do in the moment, Google says it's worked in privacy software to ensure unwanted tracking doesn't get a chance to shine.
More location access transparency from apps that track where you are will be included. Users will be able to tap this indicator and see which apps have recently tracked their location and manage them. What's more, there's a "Contact Picker" that's being worked on by developers. In the instance that an app asks for contacts access, users should soon find "the specific fields" the app is interested in filling.
This might help users who only want to share one contact, instead of revealing their entire list to an app.
Scams are as prevalent as air is nowadays. Google's trying to do something to help users by introducing stronger defenses for potential banking scams. In its press release, the company states that it's "working with select banks and financial institutions to help protect their customers with verified financial calls, a new phone call spoofing protection feature designed to keep your money and personal information safe."
This takes another step up, as Google says that if its software on your device detects a call from a spoofed number, it will end the call for you. The post says that it's been working with "select banks and financial institutions," and if you are with one of those places, you'll be protected. Working in the background, if you receive a call from someone who you think is (or isn't) from your bank, Android will ask if you'd like it to verify their authenticity.
Google says that it plans to roll out these enhanced bank scam protections for devices with Android 11 or higher with Revolut, Itaú, and Nubank "in the coming weeks." There are plans to extend these protections to more banks, but there's no date set in stone.
Watch what you download
Live Threat Detection made a brief appearance during the 2025 Show. Now, it's back, and Google says this is getting an upgrade for 2026. What's rolling out now are "warnings about suspicious behavior that could be potentially harmful." These defenses will specifically target SMS forwarding (when an app forwards a message to another number) and accessibility overlay, which could be used to trick you into an action you didn't want to complete.
Dynamic signal monitoring, which is the solution to these problems (debuting in Android 17), will monitor and inform users about any harmful app behavior. If an app mysteriously changes or hides its icon, you'll know. Google is targeting the second half of 2026 to roll this out.
Joining these updates is one for Advanced Protection. What's leading the charge this time is USB Protection and Intrusion Logging. The former is becoming available to all Pixel devices with Android 16 or higher in Advanced Protection. Google plans to extend its availability to other Android phones "soon." Intrusion Logging, which "enables persistent and privacy-preserving forensics logging," is rolling out to all Android 16 devices with the December update or newer software.
Elsewhere, Chrome on Android is improving Safe Browsing. If you're looking to download an APK or an app from a third-party, Chrome will analyze it for malware. If it detects something harmful, it will stop you from progressing.
Keep your phone (and your sensitive content) safeguarded
Find Hub helps to keep users connected to their devices in the event that they're misplaced (or worse). Today (May 12), Google highlighted an update coming for the Find Hub's "Mark as lost." In Android 17, users can "lock a phone with biometric authentication, in addition to the regular device passcode or PIN." By doing so, you give another layer of protection for your device, as thieves can't unlock your phone (if they know your PIN) and turn off location tracking and more.
Additionally, marking your device as lost will also hide your Quick Settings and disable new Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections.
Google then went into an update for "default-on theft protections." These are now being expanded globally. Android 17 will have these safety measures enabled by default. Users can expect the aid of the Remote Lock and Theft Detection Lock. Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and the U.K. are getting default-on theft protections for Android phones with OS 10 or higher. Elsewhere, your device's IMEI number can be accessed via your lock screen to aid law enforcement and others.
Android Central's Take
I'm always a fan of new—meaningful—security/privacy upgrades. It's a digital age, and there are times when it feels like you're just out there, exposed for all to see. Introducing better features like this that matter, that make it feel like we can keep what matters to us, only for us, makes a huge difference.
