Android 16’s Advanced Protection switch locks sideloading and boosts device security

Advanced Protection in Android 16 is an opt‑in security toggle that combines multiple settings across six categories into one switch. It is off by default and, when enabled, locks certain features so they can’t be disabled individually. According to Google, on the apps side it enables Google Play Protect as an always‑on malware scanner, blocks installs from outside Google Play (preventing sideloading), and turns on Memory Tagging Extension (MTE) on supported devices to stop memory corruption.

Device safety features include a Theft Detection Lock that locks the phone after suspicious motion, an Offline Device Lock that locks when the phone goes offline, and an Inactivity Reboot that forces a reboot after 72 hours locked. Message protections filter and flag spam and scam texts and warn about unsafe links.

Network and calling protections prevent connections to insecure 2G networks on supported devices, provide caller ID and spam identification, and in supported regions use Automatic Call Screen to screen and decline spam calls. Web protections include Safe browsing, Chrome HTTPS enforcement to force HTTPS when possible, and disabling Chrome’s JavaScript optimizer to reduce attack risk.

Why it isn’t enabled by default: some protections, such as blocking sideloaded apps or automatic call screening, may cause issues for certain users, so it remains optional.

android 16, advanced protection, google play protect, always-on malware scanning, blocks sideloading, blocks installs outside google play, memory tagging extension, mte supported devices, prevents memory corruption, theft detection lock, offline device lock, inactivity reboot, spam and scam protection, unsafe links warning, 2g network protection, automatic call screen, caller id and spam, safe browsing, chrome https enforcement, disable javascript optimizer, opt-in security toggle, google account advanced protection