Android 15 introduces a new security feature wherein if multiple failed login attempts are made, the OS will lock down your device to prevent unauthorized access.

The official term for this new feature seems to be Failed Authentication Lock, and it's considered part of Android's new suite of theft protection features, alongside Theft Detection Lock, Remote Lock, and Offline Device Lock.

The existence of this feature was already known since Google announced it at I/O and also earlier this week, but the company never shared the name for it until now.

Android's new Theft Protection features are awesome, but many people probably won't find them because they're buried under layers of Settings.

Thankfully, Google is rolling out a new, easier way to access Theft Protection settings on Android!

Google Play will force many apps to use Android’s Photo Picker for better privacy

Google wants to crack down on how many apps have broad access to your personal photos & videos, so it's trying to make developers use Android's Photo Picker.

More details over on this article.

Here's an in-depth look at Android 15's new Failed Authentication Lock feature - how it works, why it requires Android 15, and a video demo!

Everything you need to know can be found in this article.

Google Chrome will soon require biometrics for password autofills if your Android phone gets stolen

Chrome is preparing to support Android's Identity Check feature, which is coming in the December Android 15 QPR1 update.

More details on this upcoming change can be found in this article.

Qualcomm says its Snapdragon 8 Elite is a quantum leap forward in performance.

It has Qualcomm's custom Oryon cores clocked at up to 4.32GHz (!), 24MB of L2 cache (!), supports Unreal Engine 5 features like Nanite, multimodal gen AI models like Gemini Nano, and more.

My article on Android Faithful details everything you need to know.

Big security improvement in Android 15!

Third-party apps with notification access can no longer read notifications that have OTP codes in them, for the most part.

This'll cut down on malware stealing OTP codes from your notifications.

More details can be found in my latest article on Android Authority.

Qualcomm will provide BSP support for the Snapdragon 8 Elite for 8 generations of Android releases.

That 8 includes the original OS release, by the way, which means Qualcomm is supporting 7 years of updates!

By the way, the actual "how" is quite interesting. Will write up an article on this soon!

An AOSP patch merged earlier this month confirms the code-names of Google's next two Tensor chipsets!

Google Tensor G3 = zuma
Google Tensor G4 = zumapro
Google Tensor G5 = laguna
Google Tensor G6 = malibu

Thanks to Mike on Discord for the tip!

Another OEM is making its phones work better with Google Fast Pair

Xiaomi’s 2024 flagship phones use their ultra low-power co-processor to boost Fast Pair responsiveness

Here's how.

Google Messages is adding 5 new security features to protect you from scams

1) Enhanced detection of package delivery and job scams

2) Warnings for potentially dangerous links

3) Sensitive Content Warnings

and more...

All the details you need can be found in this article on Android Authority.

Exclusive: Here’s how Google is making it easier for Android devices to get 7 years of updates

Google's secret Longevity GRF program makes it easier for SoC vendors like Qualcomm to deliver 7 years of updates. The new Snapdragon 8 Elite is one of the first chipsets under this program.

Here's how Longevity GRF works and why it's important.

Prepare your Pixels, because Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3 is imminent!

Build ID is AP41.240925.009.

Edit: I'm mashing F5 just as much as y'all are. I'm afraid I have no idea exactly when Google will roll out Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3 to Pixel devices. I said what I said because Google has already published the GSIs for Beta 3 - those usually drop an hour before the Pixel update. The Pixel update could still be today or it could be tomorrow, I don't know!

The new app archiving icon that I spotted last month is now live in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3!

Android is preparing to organize your Quick Settings tiles into distinct categories, at least in the editor view.

This'll make it easier to find the right tile you want to add to your Quick Settings panel!

For screenshots of this feature as seen in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3, read this article on Android Authority.

Google continues revamping 'Do Not Disturb' for Android 16 with new 'Modes'

The Priority Modes feature that I spotted before is now just called Modes. Plus, Google updated its QS tile and made Modes icons appear throughout the UI.

More details on this upcoming Modes feature can be found in this article.