One UI 8.5 Update May Boost Theft Protection on Galaxy Devices

Samsung’s upcoming One UI 8.5 is shaping up to be a major update in many ways. While the update will bring visual and functional improvements, it will also offer stronger protection against phone theft. A fresh leak now reveals that the company is expanding its Identity Check feature to keep thieves from misusing devices.

Samsung may add new features to Identity Check in One UI 8.5

While digging through the most recent leaked build of One UI 8.5, folks over at Android Authority discovered a host of new additions under Theft Protection. More importantly, Samsung is preparing to tighten security by taking advantage of Identity Check. For the uninitiated, Identity Check is an Android feature that made its way to One UI 7. It prompts users to confirm their identity with biometrics before performing specific actions when the device is not in a trusted location.

Identity Check already protects a number of sensitive settings, but Samsung is widening its reach further. The goal is to make it as tough as possible for a thief to take control of a stolen Galaxy device. One of the most notable additions to the identity verification system is the protection of Samsung account transfers using Smart Switch. This prevents a thief from adding your Samsung account to another device.

Another upgrade is the requirement for biometric verification before turning off Auto Blocker. Auto Blocker helps prevent untrusted apps from being installed on the device. Likewise, Secure Folder, a private space to store sensitive apps and files, also gains protection under the Identity Check. Moreover, Samsung is expanding this protection to Private albums (in the Gallery app) and USB connection settings.

Note that you need to manually enable Identity Check to take advantage of the enhanced device security. To do so, just head over to Settings > Security and privacy > Lost device protection > Theft protection > Identity check.