You Should Enable These Anti-Theft Features on Your Samsung Galaxy Right Now
Samsung is urging Galaxy users to activate the anti-theft features available on their devices: thieves are increasingly targeting smartphones , and these security measures are designed to protect your sensitive data if your device falls into the wrong hands.
The updates build on Android’s broader anti-theft features that rolled out with One UI 7 on the Galaxy S25 series earlier this year. According to Samsung’s press release about the measures, older flagship devices can now also take advantage of these protections. You should enable them as soon as they become available on your device.
Anti-Theft Features on Samsung Galaxy Phones
The anti-theft features available to Galaxy users aren’t entirely new or previously unannounced. Google built its anti-theft suite for Android along with device-level fraud detection and Advanced Protection features — privacy and security updates released with Android 16.
Android’s anti-theft protection includes Theft Detection Lock, which detects motion like a snatch and locks your screen in response. Offline Device Lock will automatically lock your screen if your device is unplugged for an “extended period,” while Remote Lock lets you, well, remotely lock your device to your Samsung Find account, as well as access various recovery options.
New to One UI 7 based on Samsung’s Android 15 is an anti-theft feature called Identity Check, which lets you set up “Safe Places”: trusted locations like your home or office. If your device is outside these zones, biometric authentication will be required to access or update security settings, so even if a thief has your PIN, they won’t be able to see your passwords or disable Find My Device.
You’ll get an extra layer of protection with the Security Delay feature, which activates a one-hour lockout period if someone tries to reset your biometrics. (This is similar to Apple’s anti-theft device protection.)
How to Enable Anti-Theft Protection on Your Galaxy
These features were introduced in One UI 7 for Galaxy S25 and are rolling out to users of the following devices: Galaxy S24 series, Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Z Fold5, Z Flip 5, S23, and S22.
To enable anti-theft measures on your phone, go to Settings > Security & privacy > Device loss protection > Anti-theft protection . You can also find Identity verification by following the same path: Settings > Security & privacy > Device loss protection > Anti-theft protection > Identity verification , then add your “Safe places.”