Google Builds Spyware Detection Right Into Android 16

Google just shipped Intrusion Logging — a new Android feature designed to help detect sophisticated spyware and hacking attempts on your device. It's rolling out now on Android 16 Pixel devices.

Here's what makes this notable: Google developed the feature in partnership with Amnesty International and other organizations. According to Amnesty International, this is the first time a major device vendor has built forensic threat detection capabilities directly into its platform.

The tool is aimed at identifying intrusions from advanced threats — the kind of surveillance-grade attacks that typically target journalists, activists, and dissidents. Instead of relying on third-party forensic tools after the fact, Intrusion Logging gives users and investigators a native mechanism to spot compromise.

For now, it's Pixel-only. No word yet on when — or if — it expands to the broader Android ecosystem.