Google’s Onscreen Security Notifications for Android

Google already has a bunch of amazing tools and protections in place for Android users. Now, it has added a heightened level of security. In August 2016, Google announced that it would be offering a new feature for Android users: onscreen security notifications. Read on to learn more about these new security notifications and how you add them to your accounts.

What kinds of notifications will I receive?
When a new device is added to your Google account, you’ll get a notification in your mobile device’s home screen telling you about it. Additionally, you’ll start getting notifications about suspicious account activity on the same screen. If you agree that the activity looks suspicious, you can review it by clicking on “Review Account Activity” directly from the notification. Here, you can see what device was added to your account and where it was added. The alerts will be sent out in real-time because there’s no time to waste if your Google accounts have been compromised. If you don’t recognize the device or location, you can protect your phone and accounts by changing your password. If the new addition is familiar to you, you can simply dismiss the notification.

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What’s the change?
Before, instead of getting an update directly on your phone, Google would send a message to your email account. Google decided to add the notifications directly to the phone’s main screen because the company thought that the email messages were being ignored. Google says with its updated alert type — called a native alert — users will be four times more likely to look at the device’s log-in information.

How do I start adding these updates to my phone?
You don’t have to do anything to start getting these alerts from Google. Whenever you sign into your Google account on an unfamiliar device in a strange location, you’ll get an onscreen notification. The system is particularly helpful in protecting your accounts when paired with Google’s two-factor authentications for your Android devices.

If you want to have complete security on your Android phone, make sure you’ve downloaded PSafe Total. PSafe’s Antivirus protection fixes security breaches automatically by scanning your phone files and SD card at all hours. For full phone security, keep your eye on your Google security updates and add PSafe protection.