Android 15, the latest version of the mobile operating system that powers almost every smartphone that isn’t an iPhone, is officially launching on Tuesday (October 15).
As is the norm, Google’s Pixel devices will get first dibs on the huge update, the biggest in a year.
The release comes on the heels of iOS 18, which felt a bit lacking due to the absence of Apple’s heavily hyped AI features, known collectively as Apple Intelligence.
Of course, Pixel phones have had AI for what seems like an age, but they’re now using it for something arguably more useful than generating cartoons or deepfakes.
With the latest update, AI will help to prevent phone thieves from accessing your personal data. Google has designed a feature that enables your phone to detect if someone has snatched it, causing it to automatically go into lockdown mode.
It does this by tapping into the data from your phone’s sensors, which already track things like movement, orientation and position, and running it through a specially-built algorithm. You’ll also be able to manually lock your mobile from another device by using your phone number and a quick security check.
In addition, Google is making it harder for thieves to factory reset your device and plans to launch an identity check upgrade later this year. The latter lets you opt-in to add biometric authentication to certain high-level settings, like changing a PIN, disabling theft protection or accessing Passkeys from an untrusted location.
With reports of a surge in smartphone thefts in London this year, the new feature should give victims some peace of mind. And, hopefully, act as a deterrent for criminals on the prowl for brand-new phones.
The new feature is available for both Android 15 and Android 10+ users, though the former are getting some extra security perks to boot. These include additional authentication requirements for settings most likely to be targeted by thieves.
More security and privacy features for Android 15
Consequently, Android will start asking for passwords when someone tries to remove your SIM or turn off Bluetooth tracking tools like Find My Device, with repeated failed attempts prompting the device to lock down.
Along with bolstering security, Google is also introducing a bunch of privacy, camera and big screen improvements. Chief among them is a new feature that lets you hide apps you don’t want to be seen in a “private space”.
With the new setting enabled, these apps will be invisible to others and hidden from your apps list, recent apps view, notifications and settings. To access your private space, Google will ask for an extra layer of authentication. The new trick doesn’t sound too dissimilar to Apple’s recent iOS 18 perk that lets you hide apps behind Touch or Face ID.
Pixel October drop
Finally, there’s the latest batch of updates specifically for Google’s Pixel device family. You can now talk to Google’s Gemini AI chatbot hands-free on your Pixel Buds wireless earbuds, in case you want to grab directions or ask for information from your emails without checking your phone.
The launch comes just weeks after Meta integrated its AI assistant with its Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Meanwhile, Pixel’s Weather app now boasts a new pollen tracker, its audio magic eraser lets you tinker with even more sound settings for videos, and underwater photography is also getting a boost on select models.
