Google is taking a big step to protect users from these hidden threats, which are fake cell towers and the advanced spying methods they make possible, with the release of Android 16.
Imagine walking around your city with your phone in your hand, not knowing that someone nearby could be secretly listening in on your calls, texts, and even your location.
A lot of people don’t know that their smartphones can be watched by a type of surveillance called a “Stingray attack.” These attacks use devices that look like real cell towers and are often called “Stingrays.”
When your phone connects to one, hackers can get sensitive information, such as your device’s unique identifiers (like IMEI and IMSI) and your real-time location, calls, and texts.
These attacks are especially dangerous because they are hard to see. The fact that these attacks are so sneaky makes them even more dangerous. Most Android users didn’t have a good way to find or protect themselves from these kinds of threats until now.
How Android 16 Fights Back
Smarter Network Notifications
Android 16 introduces a new feature called network notifications. When this feature is turned on, your device will keep an eye on its network connections and let you know if it connects to an unencrypted network or if the network asks for sensitive information from your phone.
- Immediate alerts: If your phone switches from an encrypted to an unencrypted network or if a network tries to get to your unique identifiers, you’ll get a message in both the notification panel and the Safety Center.
- Transparency: The alert details when and how many times your identifiers were requested, giving you insight into potential surveillance attempts.
2G Network Protection
Attackers often force devices onto older, less secure 2G networks to exploit their weak encryption. Android 16’s 2G network protection lets you disable 2G connectivity entirely, blocking one of the most common tactics used by Stingray devices.
- Easy toggle: You can turn on or off 2G network access from the Safety Center or SIM settings. This will make you less likely to use these old protocols.
Where to Find These Features
- Settings > Security & Privacy > Safety Center
- Notifications: Toggle network notifications on or off.
- Network Generation: Enable or disable 2G network protection.
What’s the difference this time?
Here’s the catch: these advanced protections require new hardware. The features rely on modems that support Android’s latest Radio HAL 3.0 specification.
That means that only new devices that come out with Android 16, like the Pixel 10 that everyone is looking forward to, will work with them right away.
- Current devices: If you upgrade an older phone to Android 16, you won’t be able to see these settings unless your device’s modem works with them.
- Future-proofing: As new Android devices come out, these features will likely become standard, raising the bar for mobile security.
I’ve been following mobile security for a long time, and I’ve seen the difference between what can be done and what is useful for regular people. Until now, protecting yourself from fake cell towers required special knowledge or expensive tools.
Google is making this protection available to everyone with Android 16. It’s as easy as flipping a switch in your settings.
This action is especially timely because both government officials and hackers are using Stingray devices more and more for spying.
Android 16 gives people more control over their privacy than ever before by warning them about suspicious connections and letting them control insecure network protocols.
Final words
Android 16 isn’t just another update to the operating system; it’s a big step forward for mobile security. Google is setting a new standard for privacy by finding fake cell towers and warning users about possible spying threats.
This update is a turning point in the fight against invisible surveillance, even though the full benefits won’t be seen until the next generation of hardware comes out.
If you care about your privacy, keep an eye out for Android 16 devices and turn on these new protections as soon as you can.
