Google's Identity Verification for Android Protects Your Digital Accounts from Phone Thieves.
Apple has a feature similar to the Identity Registry, called Stolen Device Protection.
Google has officially introduced a new security feature on Android aimed at Pixel devices running Android 15, designed to prevent thieves from accessing users' digital accounts. This feature, called Identity Check, requires biometric authentication to access certain account and device settings, especially when in an untrusted location, such as a public place.
The company notes that "a stolen device in the wrong hands can expose sensitive data, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft, financial fraud, and privacy violations." The implementation of this feature is a response to previous issues, similar to what Apple did with its Stolen Device Protection feature, following reports of thieves watching people enter their passcodes on iPhones, stealing the devices, and using those codes to access private information and lock users out of their Apple accounts.
According to a support document, the settings protected by Identity Check on Android include the ability to change the device PIN, disable theft protection, turn off the Find My Device feature, factory reset the device, and change biometric settings.
Identity Check was initially released in beta late last year as part of the December update for Pixel. Additionally, Google has announced that this feature will soon be available for Samsung Galaxy devices that can be upgraded to One UI 7, as well as for devices from other manufacturers throughout this year.
