What Security Features Does Android 15 Offer

Google has unveiled new privacy and security features that will be activated on Android 15 phones. At a recent conference in California, Google presented the second beta version of its Android 15 operating system. The company also gave us a closer look at the new security and privacy features coming with the update. While the activation of Android 15 on phones is planned for the third quarter of 2024, in this article we will review the new security features of Android phones.

What is the anti-theft system of Android 15?

The most important security upgrade in Android 15 is a set of new features designed to protect against theft of the smartphone and the data on it. Google plans to make some of these features available not only in Android 15, but also for older versions of the operating system through software updates.

First of all, is the protection of the factory reset or factory settings section. To prevent thieves from wiping the stolen phone's memory and selling it quickly, Android 15 allows you to set a lock that prevents the device from being reset without the owner's password.

Android 15 will also introduce a private space for apps. Some apps, such as banking apps or instant messengers, can be protected with an additional secret PIN code, preventing thieves from accessing sensitive data.

 

Additionally, Google plans to add protection for the most critical settings in case a thief knocks your phone away while it's on. Disabling Find My Device or changing the screen lock timeout requires authentication using a PIN, password, or biometric.

Also, your phone is protected against thieves who have hacked or otherwise obtained the PIN code. Access to critical settings such as changing PINs, disabling anti-theft, or using passkeys requires biometric authentication. According to Google, this settings protection will be available on some devices by the end of 2024.

The next feature will be available both in Android 15 and in versions 10 and above. First, there's the AI ​​accelerometer-based screen lock. If the system detects movements that indicate someone is grabbing the phone and running away, the screen will automatically lock.

 

In addition, if the thief tries to cut off your phone's access to the Internet for a long time, it will automatically lock the phone. Auto-lock can also be set for other situations, for example, after a significant number of failed authentication attempts. Finally, Android will have remote lock, which will allow you to lock the phone's screen from another device.

📌Also Read: Phone Tracking, Remote Phone Hacking

Android 15 could stop you from leaking sensitive content

Android 15 also focuses on protecting user data from scams like fake tech support. Attackers may ask the user to share their screen and instruct them to perform actions such as logging into a user account. In this way, fraudsters can obtain valuable information such as login credentials, financial data, etc.

First, screen sharing in Android 15 (by default) only shares the specific app the user is interacting with, and not the system interface (such as the status bar and notifications, which may contain personal information). But switching to full screen sharing will still be possible if needed.

 

 

Second, regardless of screen sharing mode, the system will only display notification content if the app developer has provided a special public version for it. Otherwise, the content will be hidden.

Third, Android 15 automatically detects and hides windows that contain one-time passwords. If a user opens an app window with a one-time password (e.g. Messages) while sharing or recording their screen, the window's content won't be displayed. In addition, Android 15 automatically hides the login, password, and card information entered during screen sharing.

 

 

These measures protect not only against attackers who specifically target user data, but also against accidental disclosure of personal information during screen sharing or recording.

Restrict access in Android 15

This advanced protection against the abuse of two dangerous features, access notifications and access services. Let's recall the main idea behind this protection: Restricted settings prevent users from giving permission to apps that are not downloaded from Google Play.

Unfortunately, in both Android 13 and 14, it is very easy to bypass this protection mechanism. The problem is that the person himself can determine whether a program has been downloaded from the store or not.

 

In Android 15, Google plans to use a slightly different mechanism called Advanced Verification Mode. From the user's point of view, nothing will change. The interface will work as before. However, instead of checking the application installation method, this mechanism points to an XML file embedded in the operating system that contains a list of trusted installers.

Simply put, Google is going to provide you with a list of safe sources to download apps. Apps downloaded from other places are automatically blocked from accessing notifications and accessibility services.

Notification protection in Android 15

In addition to limited settings, Android 15 has more protection against the interception of apps' one-time passwords when accessing notifications from other apps.

Here's how it works: When an app requests access to a notification, the operating system parses the notification and removes the one-time password from its content before sending it to the app.

However, some app categories, for example, apps connected through the mobile device manager, will still have access to the full content of notifications. Therefore, malware creators may be able to exploit this to continue intercepting one-time passwords.

Insecure mobile networks in Android 15

Android 15 also introduces new features to protect against attackers who use malicious hotspots to intercept data or spy on smartphone owners.

First, the operating system warns users that their Internet connection may not be encrypted. This means that their calls and text messages can be intercepted.

 

Second, Android 15 will notify users if a malicious base station or specialized tracking device captures their location using their device identifier (IMSI or IMEI). To do this, the operating system monitors mobile network requests to these identifiers.

It should be noted that both of these functions must be supported by the smartphone hardware. Therefore, they are unlikely to appear on older devices that have not been upgraded to Android 15. Even among the new models that come out, not all of these features are likely to be supported. It is up to the smartphone manufacturers to implement these functions or not.

New app protection features in Android 15

The next Android 15 security improvements are improvements to the Play Integrity API. This service allows Android app developers to detect fraudulent activity in their apps as well as cases where the user is at risk and apply various additional security measures in such cases.

 

 

Specifically, in Android 15, app developers can check if another app is running at the same time as their app and is recording the screen or controlling the device on behalf of the user. If such threats are detected, developers can hide certain information or warn the user about the threat.

Developers can also check if Google Play Protect is running on the device and if any known malware is detected on the system. Again, if a threat is detected, the application can restrict certain actions, request additional confirmation from the user, etc.

 

Google Play Protect on Android 15

Finally, another security innovation in Android 15 is that Google Play Protect works not only in the official Google Play app store, but also directly on user devices. Google calls this "threat detection."

 

This operating system (with the help of artificial intelligence) analyzes the behavior of the application. In particular, the use of dangerous licenses and interactions with other applications and services. If threatening behavior is detected, the app is sent to Google Cloud for review.

conclusion

Therefore, we recommend using a comprehensive security solution on all your Android devices. including devices that have Android 15. This solution perfectly complements the new privacy and security features. In addition, many things will only be introduced in future updates, for example, anti-theft functions, find your device, or protect individual apps with a PIN.