Google to bring improved SIM lock protection feature with Android 17 update

Here, the user has to perform the SIM Lock procedure only once and there after, everytime phone is rebooted, SIM gets unlocked automatically without the need for the user remember the passcode.

Last month, Google rolled out the beta-1 of the new Android 17 for developers. Now, the company has released the beta 2.0 version, revealing more features of the upcoming Android update.

A long time ago, Google introduced a user privacy feature, SIM lock for Android phones, offering a secondary layer of security. Whenever the phone gets rebooted or the SIM gets transferred to a new phone, it would ask the user to type the passcode to use the cellular service.

Now, it has been improved in the Android 16 successor. Eagle-eyed folks at Android Authority, while going through the code of Beta 2 of Android 17, have revealed that Google has made it simple for phone users.

Currently, when the user enables SIM lock, he/she has to set a new passcode, different from the lockscreen password. And, they have to remember it whenever they restart their phone, or else they won't be able to send or receive messages, nor make/receive calls on their handset.

In the upcoming Android 17, Google has introduced Automatic SIM lock. Here, the user has to perform the SIM Lock procedure only once. The Android phone, when it reboots, will automatically process the passcode request from the cellular network provider to enable SIM services.

The user can do it by going to:

Settings > Security & Privacy > More security & privacy > Protect SIM card.

However, when the SIM is transferred to a new phone, the user still has to type the PIN to unlock the SIM.

Besides the automatic SIM lock protection feature, Google is bringing a new Handoff feature, which allows cross-device continuity for users.

For instance, you are typing a message on a supported tablet, and you can instantly switch to an Android phone; he/she can continue to type at the same point on the phone exactly where you stopped on the tablet. However, both devices should have the same app to experience this feature.

With new Beta versions, Google will reveal more features of Android 17. The search engine giant is expected to release the public version of the major OS update in June.

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