Phone theft protection: Android and iPhone settings to turn on now

How to turn on Android Theft Protection and iPhone Stolen Device Protection before a theft, plus what to do in the first minutes after a phone is taken.

2026-10-31

Phone theft is increasingly about access to banking apps, email and messaging, not the hardware. Google and Apple now ship protections that lock the phone or demand biometrics for sensitive actions, but they only help if you turn them on before a theft.

What does Android Theft Protection include?

Go to Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection. According to Google, it includes:

Theft Detection Lock: uses AI, motion sensors, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to detect a grab-and-run and locks the screen.
Offline Device Lock: locks the screen when the phone goes offline and keeps being used.
Remote Lock: lock the phone from any browser at android.com/lock using just your number.
Identity Check: requires biometrics outside trusted places for actions such as changing the screen lock.
Failed Authentication Lock: locks after repeated failed attempts.

A screen lock is required; Android Go devices, tablets and wearables are not supported, and some features need Android 10 or 15.

What is iPhone Stolen Device Protection?

It assumes a thief may already know your passcode. Away from familiar locations, Apple requires Face ID or Touch ID with no passcode fallback to view saved passwords, use saved cards or erase the device. Changing your Apple Account password, passcode or turning the feature off triggers a one-hour security delay plus a second biometric check. Turn it on in Settings > Face ID & Passcode; it needs iOS 17.3+, two-factor authentication, Find My and Significant Locations.

Feature	Android	iPhone
Lock on grab-and-run	Yes	No equivalent
Biometrics for sensitive actions	Identity Check	Stolen Device Protection
Delay before credential changes	Not described	1 hour

What about Brazil?

Brazil's Justice Ministry runs Celular Seguro, which lets victims trigger blocks from a friend's phone. It had 3.8 million registered users and 98,786 block requests in 2025, according to ministry data reported by Olhar Digital.

My phone was stolen. What now?

Lock it remotely (android.com/lock or Find My).
Ask your carrier to suspend the line; set a SIM PIN in advance to resist SIM swap.
Call your banks and change your main email password.
In the US, watch for identity theft; see our IdentityTheft.gov guide.

More: passkeys and MFA and Tips.

What else should I set up?

WhatsApp: turn on two-step verification with a PIN and recovery email; see WhatsApp hijacking.
Banking apps: lower transfer limits and never store passwords in notes on the phone.
Lock screen: hide message previews, where one-time codes often appear.
Brazil: register in Celular Seguro and add trusted contacts before you need it; afterwards, check Registrato for accounts opened in your name.

These Android and iPhone protections work worldwide, in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia alike. The key point is timing: none of them can be switched on after the phone is gone, so take five minutes today.