Warning: Update may brick your Samsung phone

If you are using a Samsung phone, even governments are asking you not to skip this latest update.

Samsung's new security tool

Google is constantly working to improve Android with new security features over time, and Samsung is also working hard to raise awareness about these features.

Samsung is working with governments to require users to enable advanced data security features. Photo: Make Use Of

The smartphone maker has partnered with the UK Home Office to spread the word about these features and encourage Galaxy owners to enable them on their devices.

Samsung has issued a public safety alert that is expected to reach more than 40 million Samsung account holders in the UK alone this week. The outreach is being handled through “customer communications channels and the Samsung Members platform,” according to Samsung.

In case you haven't gotten the message, Samsung is talking about a suite of Anti-Theft Protection features that make it easier to recover your Android phone if it's stolen. This suite includes three main features at the time of writing:

Theft Detection Lock: This feature will automatically lock your phone if it detects that it has been snatched from your hands.
Offline Device Lock: Automatically lock the screen as soon as your phone goes offline.
Remote Lock: Allows you to remotely lock your phone using just a phone number.

Another important feature is Identity Check, which requires biometric authentication in unfamiliar locations before letting you change sensitive security settings on your phone.

The important thing is not getting the device back, but the data inside. Photo: Knox

The feature is currently available on Pixel and Samsung phones running One UI 7. More manufacturers are expected to start implementing these features with the upcoming release of Android 16. One feature currently only available on Samsung phones is Security Delay.

If you have this feature turned on and a thief tries to reset your biometric authentication data, your Galaxy phone will automatically go into a one-hour delay mode before the changes take effect. This gives you time to remotely lock your stolen phone from your desktop or tablet.

Don't let thieves steal your phone.

These features aren't new. If you're someone who occasionally digs into your phone's settings, chances are you've come across them, as long as you're using a Pixel or Samsung phone.

So if you haven't enabled it yet, go to your phone settings, search for Anti-Theft Protection and turn it on right away.

Of course, the best protection is to not have your phone stolen, but there’s not much software can do here. Enabling these features won’t guarantee that you’ll get your phone back if it’s stolen, but it will protect your data.

Given the amount of sensitive information your smartphone holds, that's a significant amount of damage you'll be able to limit.