- Google is adding an optional Android 16 feature to disable USB data access when the phone is locked for enhanced security.
- This protects against attackers from using USB devices to extract data or bypass the lock screen on lost or confiscated phones.
- Tied to the new Advanced Protection Mode, it blocks new USB peripherals until the device is unlocked and the USB is reinserted.
If you’re serious about security, then you probably already avoid inserting random USB sticks into your personal devices. It’s good practice to be cautious of unknown USB devices, especially since you don’t know what kinds of payloads they might contain. But if your Android device is lost or confiscated, then you can’t stop someone else from inserting a USB device. To protect against this, Google is working on a new, optional feature in Android 16 that disables USB access when your phone is locked.
It might sound like paranoia, but there are valid reasons why one might want to block USB devices when your Android phone is locked. If you’re a journalist or activist who is at risk of being targeted by hackers, you’ll want to take every precaution you can to prevent your phone’s contents from being extracted. USB peripherals like keyboards can be used to brute force the keyguard, while other devices can inject payloads that exploit vulnerabilities to unlock the device. This isn’t hypothetical — Amnesty International’s Security Lab recently documented a zero-day USB driver exploit that was used to break into the phone of a student activist in Serbia.