- Android 16 adds the Identity Check security feature to more Android phones
- The feature, which puts a biometric lock on key settings, currently only exists on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices
- Android 16 is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2025
Android 16 will bring a new security feature to a wider gamut of handsets, following the tool’s prior addition to Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones.
Identity Check, which requires biometric authentication to access key settings and options, was spotted on a OnePlus 13 running a beta build of Android 16 by Android Authority.
The Identity Check feature puts a biometric lock on your phone’s key settings, making it more difficult for other people to change essential options.
Though less drastic use cases are possible, Identity Lock is especially useful if your phone is stolen, as the thieves would typically have no access to your fingerprint or face scan (though some facial recognition tools can be fooled with an image).
The feature was first rolled out to Google Pixel phones in December 2025, while Samsung has incorporated the feature into One UI 7, first seen on the Galaxy S25 series released in February.
As we previously reported, the feature works effectively identically to the iPhone’s Apple Stolen Device Protection tool.
If you ask me, Identity Check feels like a natural extension of the Theft Detection Lock feature added with Android 15.
As we previously reported, Theft Detection Lock uses a combination of AI, gyrometer measurements, and motion detection to determine whether your phone has been stolen, and shut thieves out.
To my eye, these increasingly robust security measures demonstrate Google’s awareness of the fact that getting your phone stolen is a two-part story these days – as expensive as it is to replace the hardware, getting your personal information stolen from within the phone can lead to much more serious complications like identity theft and credit card fraud.
I’m glad to see Android 16 bringing this feature to more devices – security features shouldn’t be kept exclusive to one brand so long as the general Android hardware base can support them, and while Samsung is known for its close partnership with Google on new Android features, more security for more people is always the right move.
What do you think of this new Identity Check feature? Is it something you’d use? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our guide to the best Android phones ahead of Android 16’s release later this year.
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