Samsung issued an urgent advisory Monday urging Galaxy smartphone users across the United States and Canada to immediately activate five anti-theft security features as phone theft incidents continue to climb worldwide.
The South Korean technology giant is calling on users to enable the theft protection tools that arrived with its One UI 7 software update, which Samsung says can "help users safeguard their data and stay in control, even in high-risk situations".
The five features Samsung is promoting include Theft Detection Lock, which uses machine learning to detect snatching motions and instantly locks the screen12. Offline Device Lock secures phones that remain disconnected from networks for extended periods, while Remote Lock allows users to lock stolen devices using only their phone number and verification12.
Two additional anti-robbery features—Identity Check and Security Delay—provide biometric authentication requirements for sensitive settings changes in unfamiliar locations and impose hour-long delays before biometric data can be reset13.
Users can activate these protections by navigating to Settings > Security and privacy > Lost device protection > Theft protection1.
Samsung's latest advisory represents the culmination of a months-long campaign that began with partnership efforts in the United Kingdom in early June, where the company worked with the Home Office to reach 40 million account holders12. The company has since expanded similar warnings to users in Canada3.
The features first launched with Samsung's Galaxy S25 series in February and have since rolled out to Galaxy S24, S23, and S22 series devices, along with Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6, Z Fold 5, and Z Flip 5 models34. Additional One UI 7-compatible devices will receive the features throughout the year3.
Samsung's theft protection suite builds upon Google's existing Android security measures while adding proprietary enhancements for what the company calls "more advanced or high-risk threat scenarios"1. The features address situations where thieves may have obtained device access credentials, going beyond standard protections effective only when perpetrators lack PIN knowledge1.
"These updates reflect Samsung's commitment to delivering smarter, stronger protection," Samsung stated in its press release2. The company plans to continue expanding the features to additional Galaxy devices as part of its broader security initiative3.
