Intriguing feature shows Google’s serious about security in Android 16

Google is taking security seriously in Android 16, and features proving it are beginning to be spotted inside code for apps related to the next version of its mobile operating system. One such feature is being referred to as the Intrusion Detection System, and it has been found inside code for the Google Play Services app, along with references to it in Android 16 according to a report by Android Authority. 

The Intrusion Detection System’s name gives much of its functionality away. It collects data on specific network and device activity, and stores it in a secure, encrypted log, ready for you to examine should you suspect your device or Google account has been hacked or accessed without your approval. It’s not clear if the feature will directly alert you to suspicious activity though. 

Data collected will include information on lock screen activity, web browsing history, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection information, app installations, and activity through the USB port. While the average phone user probably won’t need to worry much about hackers exploiting their phones using these methods, anyone who uses their phone for business, or for businesses deploying multiple Android phones to employees, may find it invaluable. 

Information collected by the Intrusion Detection System will be stored in an encrypted Google Drive folder, according to the Google Play Services code, and requires both the device’s lock screen security and your Google account password to be entered before gaining access to the decrypted log.

If the Intrusion Detection System does become a final feature in Android 16, it may be part of Google’s Advanced Protection Program. Introduced several years ago, the Advanced Protection System is expected to gain various new features in Android 16, including the ability to prevent 2G network access, and more robust methods to prevent the installation of unknown apps, which again may better protect phones used for business. 

It’s not certain the Intrusion Detection System will make it into Android 16, as Google may only be testing the feature for now, but it does fit in with Android 16’s enhanced security features we already know about. Google will reveal more about Android 16 on May 13 during a dedicated Android event, ahead of its annual developer conference, Google I/O on May 20.