12 new security features coming to Android phones in 2026

• Google has detailed a long list of Android security and privacy upgrades for 2026, including protections against banking scam calls, device theft, malware, and fake Android builds.
• Android 17 will add new privacy features like temporary precise location sharing, improved contact access controls, and stronger Advanced Protection safeguards.
• Google is also expanding AI-powered threat detection, adding APK malware scanning in Chrome.

Google has taken to The Android Show I/O Edition to drop a barrage of very important announcements, including a whole new category of laptops called Googlebooks, a new agentic AI approach for smartphones with Gemini Intelligence, multiple new Android Auto features, and more. Among the announcements, Google also detailed several new and previously known Android security features that users can expect to roll out this year.

Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?