Advanced Protection: Google’s Strongest Security for Mobile Devices

Posted by Il-Sung Lee, Group Product Manager, Android Security

Protecting users who need heightened security has been a long-standing commitment at Google, which is why we have our Advanced Protection Program that provides Google’s strongest protections against targeted attacks.

To enhance these existing device defenses, Android 16 extends Advanced Protection with a device-level security setting for Android users. Whether you’re an at-risk individual – such as a journalist, elected official, or public figure – or you just prioritize security, Advanced Protection gives you the ability to activate Google’s strongest security for mobile devices, providing greater peace of mind that you’re protected against the most sophisticated threats.

Simple to activate, powerful in protection

Advanced Protection ensures all of Android's highest security features are enabled and are seamlessly working together to safeguard you against online attacks, harmful apps, and data risks.

Advanced Protection activates a powerful array of security features, combining new capabilities with pre-existing ones that have earned top ratings in security comparisons, all designed to protect your device across several critical areas.

We're also introducing innovative, Android-specific features, such as Intrusion Logging. This industry-first feature securely backs up device logs in a privacy-preserving and tamper-resistant way, accessible only to the user. These logs enable a forensic analysis if a device compromise is ever suspected.

Advanced Protection gives users:

• Best-in-class protection, minimal disruption: Advanced Protection gives users the option to equip their devices with Android’s most effective security features for proactive defense, with a user-friendly and low-friction experience.
• Easy activation: Advanced Protection makes security easy and accessible. You don’t need to be a security expert to benefit from enhanced security.
• Defense-in-depth: Once a user turns on Advanced Protection, the system prevents accidental or malicious disablement of the individual security features under the Advanced Protection umbrella. This reflects a "defense-in-depth" strategy, where multiple security layers work together.
• Seamless security integration with apps: Advanced Protection acts as a single control point that enables important security settings across many of your favorite Google apps, including Chrome, Google Message, and Phone by Google. Advanced Protection will also incorporate third-party applications that choose to integrate in the future.
  

How your Android device becomes fortified with Advanced Protection

Advanced Protection manages the following existing and new security features for your device, ensuring they are activated and cannot be disabled across critical protection areas:

Continuously evolving Advanced Protection

With the release of Android 16, users who choose to activate Advanced Protection will gain immediate access to a core suite of enhanced security features. Additional Advanced Protection features like Intrusion Logging, USB protection, the option to disable auto-reconnect to insecure networks, and integration with Scam Detection for Phone by Google will become available later this year.

We are committed to continuously expanding the security and privacy capabilities within Advanced Protection, so users can benefit from the best of Android’s powerful security features.