
Users of several popular mobile phones have been asked to enable a new feature that prevents fraudsters from emptying their bank accounts.
Google’s new Identity Check function has been handed out to Pixel devices with the most recent upgrades.
The business first unveiled the technology in October of last year, with the goal of providing additional protection to your phone when you are not in a secure location.
It accomplishes this by ensuring that “critical account and device settings” are not easily accessed.
To access these specific options, such as changing your pin or disabling theft prevention, you must provide “explicit biometric authentication”.
This manner, if someone steals your phone, they will be unable to modify the settings without using your fingerprint or another identifying mechanism.
To access the function, navigate to your device’s settings and search for Google services.
Once there, search under “all services” and go to the theft protection tab, where you may turn on the Identity Check option.
You’ll also be able to specify trustworthy areas where biometric authentication should not be enabled.
Google stated that the precautions apply to your Google account as well, making it more difficult for someone to reset your password from your mobile device.
The functionality is now available on Google Pixel devices running Android 15, and it will be accessible on Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 7 “in the coming weeks”.
When it comes to Samsung devices, the system will likewise protect users’ Samsung accounts.
Other Android phones are anticipated to receive this security feature later in the year.
Google also recommended using its Theft Detection Lock function, which utilises AI to lock your screen if it detects that your smartphone has been forcibly removed from you.
By locking your screen, the function prevents thieves from draining your bank accounts if they lose access to the device.
This system is compatible with any Android devices running version 10 and above.
To ensure that your phone has the most recent updates, go to your device’s settings and search for tags like “system” or “about phone”.
There, you should be able to see if there are any updates for your phone.
This comes ahead of the upcoming release of Samsung’s next flagship phone, the Galaxy S25, which will use the newest UI and include Google’s Identity Check function.
The tablet was launched on January 22 at the tech company’s Galaxy Unpacked event in San Jose, where it was showcased for its sleek new design and cutting-edge AI capabilities.
The S25 is scheduled to hit shelves and begin shipping on February 6, with a number of UK providers providing pre-order offers.
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