Google launches new Android security feature to help uncover spyware attacks

Google has begun rolling out ‘Intrusion Logging,’ an opt-in Android feature within Advanced Protection Mode that creates encrypted, daily forensic logs to help researchers detect spyware and forensic-tool access. Initially available to Pixel devices running the Android 16 December update (and newer) and linked to a Google account, the logs are stored in users’ Google accounts and encrypted so only users can share them. Amnesty International collaborated on the feature, which could strengthen Google’s security positioning versus Apple’s Lockdown Mode and improve trust among at-risk users (activists, journalists, dissidents). Market impact is likely limited near-term because the feature is opt-in, Pixel-only and requires the latest OS, but it may modestly boost Google’s security reputation and competitive differentiation in device security over time.