What to know about Android?s new Theft Protection tool for your lock screen

[phillynews215]

TL;DR

• An update that makes device IMEI numbers accessible from the lock screen is rolling out now.
• The change will affect phones running Android 12 or newer.
• If you’d prefer to keep your IMEI inaccessible, you can opt out in device settings.

Late last year, we saw that Google was working to make device IMEI numbers accessible from their lock screens, a measure that could make it easier to recover your phone if it’s lost or stolen. As part of a recent Play Services update, that option is now starting to show up on our phones.

Once this option rolls out to you, your phone’s IMEI — a unique number meant to ID individual hardware units — will show up in your emergency info, which can be accessed from the lock screen without unlocking the device. That makes it easy for anyone who might find your device to confirm it’s yours, but revealing a device’s IMEI can also be a security risk. As we spotted back in July, though, you’re able to opt out.




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