Why it is best to lock down your Android telephone and this week’s extreme tales

Stealing a smartphone isn’t notably laborious, and artful criminals are benefiting from an apparent exploit to get into stolen Android telephones and iPhones to take over your digital life. right here’s discover out how to lock down your Android telephone, and fully different extreme tales from the previous week on 9to5Google.

9to5Google has a rebooted e-newsletter that highlights the largest Google tales with added commentary and fully different tidbits. signal as a lot as get it early in your inbox, or proceed studying the 9to5Google Weekender beneath for a recap of our extreme tales of the week.

it is best to lock down your Android telephone – right here’s how

We retailer a ton of information on our smartphones these days, from monetary information to our treasured recollections and loads extra. And criminals are getting artful with discover out how to get that information, as a latest report launched out.

An rising quantity of stolen smartphones inside the US are ensuing in consumer’s accounts being breached and, in flip, their information and even financials being accessed and stolen. It’s worrying, and it’s occurring as a end result of criminals are explotting an apparent loophole. By merely watching somebody enter their smartphone PIN, they will get into the system as quickly as its been stolen and reset passwords for important accounts with out ever figuring out the distinctive password.

that is primarily occurring on iPhones, however Android telephones are equally weak. If a felony steals your telephone and is aware of the PIN quantity, they will use that information to reset your Google account password and lock you out. And with how a lot is tied to our Google accounts, which may even be devastating for you as a end result of the consumer.

fortunately, there are strategies to defend your self! using an prolonged PIN, switching to pattern or password, and even simply using biometrics as a lot as doable can go a good distance in defending your Google account from somebody who steals your telephone.

This Week’s largest tales

YouTube tv upgrades picture extreme quality

In a quiet change, YouTube tv seems to be upgrading picture extreme quality for subscribers. The replace seems to up the bitrate for streaming, which in flip makes the picture sharper and makes particulars simpler to see, particularly in darkish scenes. The change comes as NFL Sunday Ticket is throughout the nook, too.

associated: There’s nonetheless hope for MLB community to return to YouTube tv

Google Fi drops US mobile

Fi, Google’s mobile service, has dropped US mobile as an official community associate. Fi has prolonged been distinctive for its skill to run off of a quantity of mobile networks, initially benefiting from each T-mobile and dash networks. T-mobile is now the one “official” community for Fi, however US mobile safety stays to be out there by way of “prolonged” safety.

you most likely can improve Android Auto’s new redesign

Google stays to be rolling out its new Coolwalk redesign to Android Auto, however there are already tweaks you most likely can additionally make to increase it. For one, you most likely can change the format of Android Auto widgets using a simple swap inside the settings. this permits you to choose between having the navigation widget or music widget nearer to the driving drive.

9to5Google Weekender: Why you should lock down your Android phone and this week’s top stories

past that, there are some superior tweaks you most likely can additionally make inside the event you run Android Auto by way of the AAWireless adapter, as we detailed this week.

extra extreme tales:

What’s arising this week?

inside the wake of MWC 2023, the upcoming week will most probably be comparatively quiet. however, there’s a small probability that we’ll see some Google information this week. March is largely when Google broadcasts the timing of its annual I/O convention, with the dates having been introduced on March sixteen final 12 months. With that in thoughts, the reveal is most probably going throughout the nook.

you most likely may even maintain tuned for opinions of the Oppo discover N2 Flip this Monday, and the Samsung Galaxy e book three professional 360 afterward this week.