Android Intrusion Logging Could Be Google’s Strongest Security Feature Yet

When it comes to smartphone security and privacy, Apple always enjoys all the praise. However, a recent Google-backed study managed to reveal that Android offers better scam protection than iOS. A large part of this credit goes to Android's Advanced Protection mode. Now, it is getting much better and safer with the upcoming Intrusion Logging feature.

The Android Intrusion Logging feature will keep detailed security breach logs

To recall, back in May 2025, Google made Intrusion Logging official at its Annual Developer conference. It was supposed to go live with the stable Android 16 release, but that didn't happen. Now, the folks over at Android Authority were able to spot it inside the Google Play Services version 26.02.31 and get a brief understanding of how it works.

As it is evident from the above image, Intrusion Logging is one of the many security features tucked inside the Advanced Protection menu. It can be toggled on by accessing it from the bottom of the menu and setting it up. It's important to note that the feature will only work if Advanced Protection mode is enabled in the first place.

The primary intent behind this is to keep a detailed record of security breaches or privacy violations on a user's smartphone. To function, it will collect data such as device connections, app installations, screen unlock times, browsing history and more. However, there's no need to worry, as the stored data remains end-to-end encrypted and is stored in the cloud for future reference.

This way, the Intrusion Logging feature will help Android understand and report on the exact trigger points that might indicate a security lapse. If a user suspects that their smartphone has been tampered with, he or she can easily access and download the data logs.

The information remains stored and protected behind a security firewall, which is essentially a manual PIN or the device passcode. However, the  Intrusion Logging setup page does mention that logs are deleted after every 12 months. At the time of writing, it doesn't appear that Google will let you keep logs forever or for a custom time duration.

That said, since the Android Intrusion Logging is not officially available yet, it is hard to comment on how useful this feature will be in real life. While it will undoubtedly add an extra layer of security, it remains to be seen what actionable steps the user can take to safeguard their smartphone in the event of a breach.