By Update for May 16, 2025: This piece, which was first published on May 14, has been updated with information about more security features that have either arrived or will be available shortly as part of Android 16, as revealed in Google’s most recent Android release.
Usually, when an update prevents you from doing anything, it isn’t a cause for rejoicing. Sometimes, however, it truly should be, and Google has recently verified this with a new Android version that is both restricting and freeing. We’ve seen this before, with reports that Android handsets may soon begin automatically replacing passwords with passkeys, for example. Now, Google has introduced a trio of new Android smartphone features that, while restricting certain activities, will improve user security and privacy. Here’s what you should know.
Don’t Hate This New Android Update; Learn to Love the Restrictions.
Anyone who knows me would agree that I dislike being told what to do, so why am I so thrilled that Google has revealed a new Android upgrade that imposes restrictions on smartphone users, whether they want it or not? Because, dear reader, I’m a security geek, and sometimes the best preventative medicine is the one you’re supposed to take. Or, as in the most recent Android security update, three easy-to-swallow attack mitigation pills.
Dave Kleidermacher, Google’s vice president of engineering for Android security and privacy, announced on May 13 that new in-call security features have been added to the smartphone user’s arsenal. These limiting measures are in response to Google’s study, according to Kleidermacher, which found that threat actors like persuading victims to perform unsafe behaviours during a chat. Examples of actions include altering the default security settings and granting new app permissions. “These actions can result in spying, fraud, and other abuse by giving an attacker deeper access to your device and data,” according to Kleidermacher. Kleidermacher said that Google is “working to block specific actions and warn you of these sophisticated attempts,” while advising that the new security measures are solely done on your smartphone device and only when a discussion occurs with someone who is not already in your existing contacts.
Risky Smartphone Call Actions: This Android update puts the brakes on
Google confirmed the three user actions that would now be prevented during a call: disabling Google Play Protect, sideloading an app, and changing app accessibility permissions. Google Play Protect is enabled by default, and for good reason: it is constantly scanning for malicious app behaviour and protecting the user from the consequences. Being convinced to disable this protection during a call is always indicative of an ongoing attack. Preventing you from doing so is a good thing.
If you side-load an app, which means it came from somewhere other than the official Google download store, you risk installing malware because the software may not have been properly reviewed for security vulnerabilities. The new safeguards prohibit users from sideloading any new program from a web browser, messaging app, or any other source during a call.
Finally, granting accessibility permissions that you would not otherwise need is a huge red flag in terms of security and privacy. This can provide an attacker access to “gain control over the user’s device and steal sensitive or private data, like banking information,” Kleidermacher said.
There is a fourth component to this Android update, but I didn’t put it in the magic number of three because it is a prompt rather than a direct restriction. After you use screen sharing during a call, Android will now urge you to stop sharing after the call ends to prevent an attacker from gaining access to the data.
Android 16 Update Includes New Advanced Protection Program Features
As regular Forbes readers are well aware, I am an enthusiastic advocate and highly satisfied user of Google’s advanced protection mechanism, which can prevent any number of Gmail account takeover attacks from succeeding.
Google’s recent Android update release includes some good news about the advanced protection program for Android users. Kleidermacher confirmed that the APP “provides Google’s strongest protections against targeted attacks,” and went on to say that, at least for Android 16 users, this sophisticated protection is being expanded to include device-level security. Kleidermacher’s statement was, to be honest, only a tease; the true details would be revealed in another announcement, this time by Il-Sung Lee, Google’s Android security group product manager.
“Advanced Protection ensures that all of Android’s highest security features are enabled and seamlessly working together to safeguard you against online attacks, harmful apps, and data risks,” Lee said, adding that for Android 16 users, new capabilities will be combined with existing ones. If advanced protection is activated, Lee stated that Android 16 users will have rapid access to:
- Intrusion Logging
- USB protection
- Disabling auto-reconnect to insecure networks
- Integration with Scam Detection for Phone by Google (available later this year)
More broadly, the Advanced Protection Program limits the data that apps can access, prohibiting most non-Google apps and services from accessing Google account data from Drive or Gmail, for example. “If anyone tries to recover your account,” the search engine noted, “Advanced Protection takes extra steps to verify your identity.” This means that it may take a few days to authenticate your identity and regain access to your Google account, but it is a small price to pay for peace of mind in the face of hacking danger.
“Advanced Protection gives users the option to equip their devices with Android’s most effective security features for proactive defence,” noted Lee, “with a user-friendly and low-friction experience.” Notably, it means that the Android user is protected against the unintentional or malicious disabling of APP security measures using a defence-in-depth approach. “Advanced Protection acts as a single control point that enables important security settings across many of your favourite Google apps,” says Lee, “including Chrome, Google Message, and Phone by Google.” This is one Android upgrade that we can all get behind.
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