Android 16 will prevent scammers from taking over your phone: Here’s how | Technology News
Online and phone scams are on the rise, and AI is making it even easier for scammers to impersonate people. To combat these scams, Android 16, the upcoming version of Google’s mobile operating system, is getting a new security feature that will prevent users from changing sensitive settings when on a call.
One of the most common ways scammers take over your phone is by tricking unsuspecting users into sideloading malware laced or remote control apps by guiding them through the process. However, with Android 16, Google plans to disable sideloading apps, a process that allows users to install apps that are either not available on the Play Store without scanning them for malware.
While the new functionality will prevent users from sideloading apps during calls, it isn’t foolproof since scammers can ask them to hang up and install the app. However, it does disrupt the flow of the conversation and might make the user suspicious.
In addition to blocking sideloading, Google says Android 16 will also disable accessibility services during active phone calls, which are also a common tool for hackers, since it allows them to read the screen content and control the device. Part of the Advanced Protection features introduced with Android 15, the new functionalities are currently available on Android 16 Beta 2, and we expect to see them in the final version of the operating system as well.
When Google started rolling out Android 15 last year, the tech giant added a bunch of new features that made it harder for scammers to use malicious apps by automatically disabling sensitive permissions for apps that are not available on the Play Store or downloaded from untrustworthy sources.
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