MILLIONS of phone owners can take advantage of a special “protection”;; mode used by VIPs to avoid being hacked.
It’s called Advanced Protection and anyone can use it for free – though it’s built for celebs, politicians, and other important figures.
Protection features were first launched in 2017, but the system has been upgraded in the new 16 update.
It has special tricks like preventing your phone from being by a physical cable, and using AI to and live as they’re happening.
The feature activates a long list of hardcore security measures designed to boost your security and .
“Android 16 enhances and expands the Advanced Protection features that first launched in 2017,”;; said Google’s Stella Loh.
“Making it simple to turn on an array of robust device security features.”;;
Stella, who works on the Android team, added: “Whether you’re a public figure or just want the best of Android’s powerful security features, you can turn on Advanced Protection for peace of mind that you’re protected against the most sophisticated threats.”;;
WHAT IS GOOGLE’S ADVANCED PROTECTION PROGRAM?
Google is the company behind the Android software that powers billions of phones around the world.
And there’s a special feature called the Advanced Protection.
Google says that this serves up its “strongest protections against targeted attacks”;;.
“Advanced Protection ensures all of Android’s highest security features are enabled and are seamlessly working together to safeguard you against online attacks, harmful apps, and data risks,”;; Google explained.
To get all the latest protections, you’ll need Android 16.
That’s currently out in beta version, which you can try for free today.
Or you can wait for a full release, which may take several months to turn up on your mobile.
GOOGLE’S ADVANCED PROTECTION PERKS AND HOW TO TURN ON
Once you’ve got the latest Android update, go into Settings.
Then go to Settings > Google > Personal & Device Safety > Advanced Protection > Device Protection.
From there, you’ll be able to see a list of all of the features that are activated once you toggle the setting on.
For instance, there’s a that means your phone automatically locks itself if it detects “suspicious activity indicative of theft”;;.
Your phone will also lock itself if it goes offline for a prolonged period.
There’s a USB Protection that prevents “physical attacks”;; using your phone’s charging port.
Safe Browsing modes block dangerous websites for you.
And there are special AI-powered scam detection tools for both phone calls and text messages that flag up if you’re being swindled in real-time.
The feature also blocks you from connecting to outdated 2G phone networks, and won’t automatically reconnect to networks “known to be insecure”;; either.
Some of the features won’t arrive until “later this year”;;, according to Google.
