Updated

Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Aug 16

Google Expands Android Identity Check Beyond Pixel, Blocking PIN-Based Theft Risks

Updated

Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Aug 16

Google Expands Android Identity Check Beyond Pixel, Blocking PIN-Based Theft Risks

Q: Will thieves easily bypass Android's new offline lock by using signal-blocking bags instead of removing the SIM?

Not easily, but a signal-blocking bag could weaken one part of Google’s new protection. Google’s Offline Device Lock is designed to react when connectivity is cut, including when a SIM is removed, Airplane Mode is enabled, or Wi‑Fi and mobile data are disabled. If a phone is dropped into a Faraday-style bag that blocks radio signals, the device may appear offline in a similar way, so the offline lock could still trigger after its short countdown. Google and outside write-ups describe it as not requiring an active connection to perform the lock once the device detects the loss of connectivity. What a signal-blocking bag can interfere with is recovery and remote response. It can stop tracking, delay remote commands, and prevent browser-based remote lock from reaching the phone until it comes back online. So a thief using such a bag could make the device harder to locate immediately, even if the screen itself later locks. The bigger point is that Offline Device Lock is only one layer. Theft Detection Lock may already lock the phone during a grab-and-run based on motion sensors, before a bag is used. Identity Check can make it harder for a thief to change sensitive settings even if they know the PIN, and a strong screen lock remains critical. So the answer is that a shielding bag is not a clean bypass of Android’s anti-theft tools, but it could reduce the effectiveness of tracking and remote control. These features are best treated as layered defenses, not a guarantee.

3 articles · Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Aug 16

Google plans to bring Identity Check to more Android devices after limiting it to Pixel phones on Android 15+ and Samsung models on One UI 7+.
The feature targets a key weakness: thieves who learn a lockscreen PIN can disable protections, access saved passwords and passkeys, and even turn off Find My Device.
Identity Check instead requires biometric authentication for sensitive actions such as changing the PIN, viewing app passwords, removing Google accounts, or altering recovery settings.
Trusted locations like home or work can exempt users from repeated biometric prompts, while stricter checks activate elsewhere using location, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth scanning.
The rollout extends Google's broader Android theft-protection push, which already includes motion-based Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock, Remote Lock, and remote wipe tools.