- Android 16 adds the identity check safety function to more Android phones
- The functionality, which puts a biometric lock on the key parameters, currently exists only on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices
- Android 16 should be launched in the second quarter of 2025
Android 16 will bring new safety feature to a wider range of handsets, after the tool anterior tool to the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones.
The identity verification, which requires biometric authentication to access key parameters and options, has been spotted on a OnePlus 13 running a beta version of Android 16 by Android Authority.
The identity verification function puts a biometric lock on the key settings of your phone, which makes it more difficult for others to modify the essential options.
Although less drastic use cases are possible, identity locking is particularly useful if your phone is stolen, because thieves would generally not have access to your fingerprint or your facial scan (although some facial recognition tools can be due with an image).
The functionality was deployed for the first time on Google Pixel Phones in December 2025, while Samsung incorporated the functionality in One UI 7, seen for the first time on the Galaxy S25 series published in February.
As we have previously reported, the functionality works effectively identically to the Apple Stolen Devy Device Protection tool of the iPhone.
If you ask me, Identity Check looks like a natural extension of the flight detection locking function added with Android 15.
As we mentioned earlier, the flight detection lock uses an AI combination, gyrometer and movement detection measurements to determine if your phone has been stolen and closed the thieves.
In my eye, these increasingly robust security measures demonstrate Google’s consciousness because the flight of your phone is a story in two parts these days – as expensive as replacing the equipment, stealing your personal information in the phone can lead to much more serious complications such as identity theft and credit card fraud.
I am happy to see Android 16 Bringing this feature to more devices – security features should not be held exclusive to a brand as long as the general Android equipment base can support them, and although Samsung is known for its close partnership with Google on new Android features, more security for more people is always the right blow.
What do you think of this new identity verification feature? Is that something you would use? Let us know in the comments below and make sure you consult our guide to the best Android phones before the version of Android 16 later this year.
