You've probably seen the news stories about someone walking along, talking on their phone, when it's suddenly swiped from their hands by a thief on a full-tilt run. Assuming you can quickly access a computer or another device that is signed into your Google account, it's pretty easy to lock the device and track its location, but what happens during that valuable time between the time the phone is swiped and when it's locked? Probably nothing good.
That's why Google invented Android Advanced Protection, a suite of automated tools designed to keep your phone safe no matter whose hands it ends up in. Google began testing this feature with Android 16 beta releases in the Summer of 2025 and released the tools to all Android 16-powered phones early in 2026.
