On the Android Present on Tuesday, forward of Google I/O, Google introduced new safety and privateness options for Android. These new options embrace new protections for calls, display sharing, messages, machine entry, and system-level permissions. With these options, Google goals to guard customers from falling for a rip-off, maintain their particulars safe in case a tool is stolen or taken over by an attacker, and improve device-level safety for varied assaults.
Telephone scammers usually ask customers to take actions like tapping on unsafe hyperlinks or downloading unknown apps. With a purpose to defend customers, Google is obstructing some actions and warning customers of a possible rip-off whereas they’re on a name with somebody not of their contact record.
For Android 16, these actions embrace side-loading an app for the primary time from an online browser, messaging app, or different sources that haven’t been verified by Google, and granting accessibility permission to an app so {that a} scammer can take management of the machine. The corporate can be stopping customers working Android 6 or later from disabling Google Play Shield, which scans the machine for dangerous apps whereas they’re on a name.
Google is including screen-sharing safety as effectively by reminding customers to cease sharing the display after a name ends.
The corporate can be testing a brand new warning display with choose banks within the U.Okay. to stop fraud by screen-sharing. When customers on gadgets working Android 11 or later open a accomplice financial institution’s app whereas sharing a display with an unknown quantity, the machine will present a warning display with a button to rapidly finish the screen-sharing.
Messages safety
Google is enhancing safety towards scams in Google Messages after launching the function in March. The function makes use of on-device AI to alert customers of a possible rip-off primarily based on the dialog. The corporate is now bolstering consumer safety by having the instrument to detect extra forms of fraud, together with crypto, present card, toll highway, and different billing charges, monetary impersonation, and technical help.
What’s extra, the corporate is including verification keys to the Google Contacts app, which can assist customers authenticate that the particular person on the opposite finish is the supposed receiver. Customers can confirm their contacts by having them scan a QR code or match numbers displayed on the display.
Verified keys imply that your dialog along with your contact on Google Messages is end-to-end encrypted and secured. Google mentioned that if an attacker begins controlling a cellphone quantity by a SIM swap assault and messages you thru a brand new machine, the Google Contacts app will present the verification standing as unverified. This function will likely be out there for Google Messages later this summer season for customers working Android 10 or later variations.
Theft-protection measures
Earlier this yr, Google rolled out Id Test safety to Pixel and Samsung gadgets with OneUI 7. The function requires customers to make use of biometric authentication to vary vital settings like altering your machine PIN or biometrics, disabling theft safety, or accessing Passkeys when the consumer shouldn’t be at one of many trusted areas they’ve added. The corporate is now making this function out there to different machine makers with Android 16.
Later this yr, Google will add higher safety for Manufacturing facility Reset, proscribing every kind of features on the machine which might be reset with out authorization of the earlier lock sample/PIN or Google account credentials. This basically makes a stolen machine exhausting to make use of.
To forestall somebody from locking your machine remotely, the corporate is including a safety problem query to stop unauthorized entry. With Android 16, the corporate can even conceal one-time passwords if the machine shouldn’t be linked to Wi-Fi and hasn’t been unlocked just lately.
Extra protections
The corporate is including new options to its Google Play Shield stay detection program as effectively, which detect unsafe apps which have hidden or modified icons. This function will likely be out there within the coming months for customers working Google Pixel 6+. The corporate mentioned it’s now making use of a brand new set of on-device rules to catch extra classes of malicious apps.
Google is including new measures to bolster its Superior Safety Mode to guard public figures with new on-device options. The corporate can be debuting a brand new Discover My Hub to maintain observe of things, buddies, and household.
Try methods to watch the livestream and extra from Google I/O.