Users should make sure this Android security feature is always enabled.
You can't be too careful in today's state of constant spam, potential hackers and cyberattacks.
Keeping your privacy protected and your personal data safe has never been more important, so much so that Apple has updated features to alert users if an AirTag is 'moving along with you' and iOS updates to 'silence unknown callers' through call screening.
For Android users, though, there's a powerful Google security feature that could be the difference between staying safe and becoming a victim.
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What is the Android feature?
Google's Advanced Protection strengthens your phone's defences by creating multiple defence barriers on Android devices.
Once activated, the feature permanently locks critical security configurations in place, preventing accidental or malicious modifications. The system blocks potentially dangerous side-loaded applications and automatically scans all installations for threats before they can compromise your device.
How does Google's Advanced Protection work?
Advanced Protection automatically locks your device when suspicious activity is detected.
By doing so, it enforces stronger authentication requirements and implements stricter controls for web browsing and messaging applications. The feature is designed to provide maximum security whilst keeping the user input to a minimum.
In the event of device theft, Advanced Protection's security can lock down sensitive data such as personal conversations and info from banking apps.
Malicious applications frequently masquerade as legitimate software, while phishing attacks delivered through SMS and email continue to target unsuspecting users.
Advanced Protection directly addresses these vulnerabilities through several key mechanisms. The system will prevent installation of any applications from untrusted sources, automatically scan all downloads for malware and trigger warnings before users interact with suspicious links or messages.
How to set up Advanced Protection
Setting up Advanced Protection requires configuration through your Google Account rather than device-specific settings. To do so, visit the official Google Advanced Protection Program webpage and sign in with your primary Google account.
Follow the enrolment steps, which will then ask you for two physical security keys. These are small devices that plug into your computer via USB or connect wirelessly.
While this may seem like an additional step, these keys provide the strongest available protection against unauthorised account access attempts.
Google will then guide you through the final steps. Once complete, Advanced Protection activates across all devices associated with that Google account.
The best part is that the feature will continuously monitor for threats and block malicious content while running automatically in the background, so you won't even notice it's there.