Google is implementing new security features and bringing older ones under the Advanced Protection Program with Android 16. The goal is to improve the device’s security and protect people from scammers, especially high-risk groups like journalists and high-ranking officials.
The best part is that all of the security features are activated once Advanced Protection is activated, which basically requires you to tap on a toggle to turn it on. You don’t need to have any sort of expertise in the field. In fact, the enabled security features cannot be turned off easily as that action would require user credentials.
Security features that involve apps will be available only to Google apps before expanding to third-party software.
With Android 16, users will have access to secure device logs that cannot be edited and can only be accessed by the user.
During a call, the system blocks risky actions that are easily exploited by scammers. For instance, you won’t be able to turn off Google Play Protect, you cannot install unverified apps from browsers or messaging apps or grant apps permissions to take control of the device’s core functionalities.
Android 16 will also elevate the security of banking apps. Google is working closely with UK banks for now such as Monzo, NatWest and Revolut. During a screen sharing session, the system would prompt the user to end the call when launching a banking app as this is one of the most common ways for fraudsters to extract sensitive information from users.
Google is also leveraging AI to filter out scam and spam messages when using Google’s default Messages app. The AI will also spot malicious on-device activity by apps, as some try to hide or change icons. The machine-learning algorithm constantly scans for text or binary patterns to spot potential malware.
The new features will coexist with older ones like Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock.