A worrying trend to continues to affect UK smartphone owners but Samsung hopes it latest update will stop it.
UK smartphone owners continue to be at risk from a hugely worrying trend that’s sweeping across Britain. Phone theft is growing at an alarming rate, with users targeted by thieves who often snatch the device right out of their hands as they walk along the street. It’s a lucrative business for criminals, and it’s only getting worse. Recent stats from the Met Police have confirmed that over 70,000 Londoners alone had a device snatched last year. That equates to about 192 victims every single day.
Along with the financial implication of losing a device, there’s also the emotional cost. Our phones are filled with personal data, private photos, banking details and more – losing these can be hugely distressing.
With phone theft now a hot topic, Samsung says it is trying to help by offering several important security features.
Explaining more, the Korean company said: “Samsung is today encouraging smartphone users across the UK to enable and update the latest anti-theft features available on Samsung Galaxy devices.”
One of the most important things to check – if you own a latest Galaxy device – is Theft Protection.
Samsung boasts that this function offers a multi-layered suite of features developed to safeguard personal data, even in high-risk situations such as robbery.
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Once activated, Theft Protection offers features such as “Theft Detection Lock”. This uses machine learning to detect motions associated with theft, such as snatching – if that happens, it automatically locks the screen.
“Offline Device Lock” is also included, which automatically locks the screen if the device is disconnected from the network for an extended period, and there’s “Remote Lock”. This does exactly what it says on the tin, with users able to lock the device even if it’s no longer in their possession.
And these upgrades aren’t the only way to keep things safe.
Samsung has recently confirmed the release of two new security updates, including Identity Check. When in unfamiliar locations, the ‘Safe Places’ feature requires biometric authentication for any changes to sensitive security settings, adding an additional layer of protection when a PIN may have been compromised.
Another bonus is Security Delay. If a robber attempts to reset biometric data, a one-hour delay immediately gets activated before any changes take effect. This crucial buffer gives Samsung customers time to lock the stolen phone from a connected device, such as a PC or tablet, before unauthorised access can occur.
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“Our recent One UI 7 update built further on existing protections with new anti-theft features such as identity check, biometric authentication and security delay, all featured in our latest Galaxy S25 series,” said Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience (MX) VP of Product and Marketing, UK&I at Samsung
“These features have now also been rolled out into a range of models across our devices and further updates will follow. We must do everything we can to ensure the safety and security of our customers when they are using their mobile devices and we will continue to work hard to ensure our customers are aware of the wide range of security features available to them.”
So, who can get these features? Samsung has confirmed that these updates are available on the Galaxy S25. They are also becoming available on previous flagship devices, starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Z Fold5, Z Flip 5, S23 and S22 series currently, with future updates planned for even more Galaxy smartphones.