Google developers have seriously taken up the task of improving Android security. Today we already wrote that after 3 days of inactivity, Android smartphones will reboot, and now it has become known that Android 16 and, accordingly, HyperOS 3 will have an Identity Verification anti-theft feature.
Introduced with the Pixel Feature Drop back in December 2024, this robust security feature was originally exclusive to Pixel devices. South Korea’s Samsung also quickly adopted this feature, introducing it in One UI 7 based on Android 15.
At the same time, users of Android smartphones from other manufacturers, such as Xiaomi, will soon also be able to take advantage of this high-end level of security through the Android 16 update. That is, this feature will be included in HyperOS 3 as soon as the official release of Android 16 takes place.
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How does identity verification work?
The essence of identity verification in HyperOS 3 based on Android 16 is to protect important system configurations and confidential information such as saved passwords. When changing security settings or accessing password records, the device will only request biometric authentication — for example, fingerprint or face recognition, PIN code or graphic key will not work here.
Unlike standard security systems, this system does not support a return to PIN or password, which means that unauthorized attackers will not be able to skip biometric authentication if they physically gain access to the phone.
Why is this important for Xiaomi owners?
Since Identity Check is integrated into the Android operating system at the system level, Xiaomi developers are likely to include this feature in their HyperOS 3 platform as soon as full support for Android 16 begins, which will increase overall protection for all users.
That’s what makes identity verification meaningful.:
- It does not allow attackers to change configurations or gain access to confidential information.
- Access using biometric data only increases security.
When will it appear on Xiaomi devices?
Although Xiaomi has not announced any timetable, all Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices that are “eligible for Android 16” will receive this security update. Note that Xiaomi is famous for its timely adoption of new Android features, so we should expect its early adoption.
P.S. We collect all the most interesting information about the new version of the HyperOS 3 software platform here, and all the most interesting news about HyperOS can be found in this section.
