Protect your Android device and Google Account from unauthorized access
You can prevent someone with physical access to your Android device from accessing your Google Account and device data with a few simple steps.
Features are subject to availability. The steps may look different depending on your device.
Lost or stolen device
If your Android device is ever lost or stolen, there are a few measures you can take to protect your Google Account and device data.
Important: Some of the steps below work only on newer versions of Android.
To prevent access to your Google Account, visit Your Devices page and sign out of any sessions on the affected device. Learn how to manage your sessions and signed-in devices.
Add a Google Account
To proactively protect your device, make sure to add your Google Account to your Android device. Even if a thief factory resets your device, they won’t be able to access anything without signing into the Google Account on the device.
In addition, if you add a Google Account to your device, Find My Device is automatically turned on.
Set up a screen lock
To prevent others from using or erasing your device, you can set up a screen lock to help secure your Android device.
Common lock types include:
- Pattern: Draw a simple pattern with your finger.
- PIN: Enter 4 or more numbers. Longer PINs tend to be more secure.
- Password: Enter 4 or more letters or numbers.
- Biometric: Some devices allow you to use a fingerprint or face scan.
The most secure screen lock set up should include a strong password combined with biometrics where available. Biometrics are secure, private, and protect you from thieves in crowded places who may watch you enter your pattern, pin or password. If biometrics are not available on your device, be conscious of your surroundings when unlocking your device in public.
Find your device
To be prepared in case your Android device is lost or stolen, ensure your device can be located using Find My Device.
Once this is set up, you can visit android.com/find to remotely find, lock, or erase the device.
If you find that the thief has already changed your account password, you can try Account Recovery immediately. Your chances of this working are higher if you already set up a recovery phone number and recovery email address. Learn more about adding recovery factors.
Sharing a device
If you’re sharing your device with a family member or close friend, you can set up separate user profiles for those who share your device.
This prevents any of your private info from being accessible when your family member or friend is using your device.
Learn more about adding a user to your device.
If you just want to hand your device to someone to snap a picture for you, you can open your camera without unlocking the device. Depending on your device, you can open your camera from your lock screen by double tapping your power button or pressing and holding the camera widget on the lock screen.
Use Incognito mode
If you need to temporarily sign-in to an account on a device that’s not yours, you can use Incognito mode in Google Chrome.
In Incognito mode, none of your browsing history, cookies and site data, or information entered in forms are saved on the device. So you can be sure when you close the window, you’ll be signed out without any sensitive information left behind.
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