Google Announces New Android 15 Features, Including Detecting When Phone Gets Stolen

Google announced new features for the latest version of the Android operating system, Android 15, during the company’s annual conference Google I/O, and more details through a document shared last Wednesday. The exact release date was not disclosed, but users can expect useful updates such as “Circle to Search” and new security features like Theft Detection Lock, a “private space”, and real-time protection against scams later this year.

The “private space” function on Android 15 will allow users to keep apps and sensitive information in a separate space. It comes with the ability to apply its own lock, or to hide it entirely, only revealing the section with a special security verification.

The Theft Detection Lock will detect theft motion. “This powerful new feature uses Google AI to sense if someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike or drive away with it,” states the document.

During the Google I/O event, Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystems, explained more about the feature “Circle to Search,” which allows users to quickly search images or texts and get more information related to the product or problem. “Circle to Search is only on Android. It’s available on more than 100 million devices today, and we’re on track to double that by the end of the year,” said Samat.

Samat also highlighted the integration of Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, including its newest updates, on Android 15 with the Gemini Nano version. Dave Burke, vice president of engineering for Android, shared more details and explained that the new version of Gemini on Android would be “context-aware”, meaning the artificial intelligence will be able to anticipate users’ needs and queries to be more helpful.

Burke also showed how the AI will notify users if a person calling is a scammer by listening to the conversation and sending a pop-up warning. “Android can help protect you from the bad guys, no matter how they try to reach you,” said Burke.

According to The Verge, Android 15 will be available this fall along with the new features, but a few updates will be accessible for users with older Android versions. Android 15 beta is already being tested, and more new updates should be announced soon.