At the recent Android 16 announcement event, Google introduced a series of enhanced security and privacy features. These improvements are aimed at protecting users, especially high-risk individuals such as journalists and high-ranking officials, from fraud and cyberattacks. These features are expected to be available on Galaxy phones and tablets through the One UI 8 update based on Android 16.

Google has consolidated all the old and new protections into a section called the Advanced Protection Program. When users enable this program, all security features will be turned on automatically and cannot be easily turned off. Changing important settings will require the device owner's identity to be authenticated. Initially, some features will only work with Google apps, but will gradually be expanded to third-party apps.

One of the notable points is that Android 16 will record system logs in an uneditable form. This allows users to check if their device has been tampered with.

During a call, Android 16 will block high-risk behaviors such as installing unverified apps from browsers, file managers, or messaging apps. Users also cannot turn off Google Play Protect or grant permissions to apps that take control of the device. These are common methods used by scammers to trick users.

Google has also increased protection for banking apps. When a user is sharing their screen during a call and opens a banking app, Android 16 will ask them to end the call to ensure that information is not leaked. This feature is currently being tested with some banks in the UK, such as Monzo, NatWest, and Revolut.

In addition, Android 16 also integrates artificial intelligence to monitor app activity, detecting unusual behaviors such as hiding icons or changing the interface. AI will also help filter spam and scam messages and scan text or binary code for malware.

Google is also tightening the ability to resell stolen phones by upgrading its factory reset protection system. A stolen device will have all its functions restricted if it is reset without the owner's permission. Additionally, the Remote Lock feature will add a security question to prevent unauthorized manipulation of the device. One-time authentication codes will also be hidden from notifications to prevent unauthorized access to important user accounts.