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Smartphone thieves hate this new Android update

By
Jack Linshi
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By
Jack Linshi
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March 10, 2015, 6:00 PM ET
Samsung Launches New Galaxy SIII Smartphone
A Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy S III smartphone shows the Google Inc. home page at a launch event in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday, June 25, 2012. Samsung, the world's largest handset maker, said the Galaxy S III will help mobile earnings surpass the first-quarter record, after users responded more positively to the latest smartphone model. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by SeongJoon Cho — Bloomberg via Getty Images

This post is in partnership with Time. The article below was originally published at Time.com.

Google’s latest update to its Android operating system makes your smartphone less desirable—to thieves, that is.

Android 5.1 was rolled out on Monday with a new anti-theft technology called Device Protection, according to Google’s Official Android Blog.The system will keep your stolen or lost phone locked until you sign in with your Google account, even if someone restores your phone to factory settings.

Device Protection will be available on smartphones shipped with Android 5.1, and also the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.

Other features on Android 5.1 include support for multiple SIM cards and HD voice calling between compatible devices.

Apple introduced a similar feature on iOS 7 called Activation Lock, which police in San Francisco and New York have attributed to big drops in iPhone thefts.

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By Jack Linshi
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