Survey says most readers want Pixels to offer this simple security feature

When it comes to securing a smartphone from unauthorized access, the humble PIN still goes a long way. It guards against the device and its SIM being unlocked. Some OEMs take this a step further, disallowing users from switching off a device without inputting that PIN. But, oddly enough, one major manufacturer is missing this feature: Google.

A Pixel can be switched off by anyone who gets their hands on it, making these phones easier to travel under the radar when stolen. Unfortunately, this is something my colleague Hadlee Simons experienced when his Pixel 7 Pro was stolen.

While Hadlee and I certainly agree that Pixel phones would benefit from this feature, we wondered if readers would want Google to implement it. So, we asked this question in a recent survey; the results are telling.

Just under 2,500 votes were cast on this poll, and one of the two options received overwhelming support. 86.1% of respondents — that’s nearly 9 in every 10 readers — want Google to add a PIN lock to the power-off procedure on Pixels.

Theft prevention is about redundancy. The more deterrents you stack on top of one another, the less enticing stealing that device becomes. Android now features several anti-theft measures, but the lack of PIN-to-power-off is a rather obvious omission. It becomes even more glaring when you compare Pixels to other OEM offerings. OnePlus, Nothing, realme, vivo, and Samsung all have a feature that stops a phone from powering off if a PIN or password isn’t entered first.

Some readers feel the same way. Commenter tosadi2002 writes:

I repeatedly gave this feedback, but they don’t listen. Samsung has that edge, as you can’t turn off the Bluetooth or power off the phone without providing your PIN. If my Google phone is stolen on the bus or in an area where calling could be significant in finding it, the thief would just switch it off which will make finding it difficult.

It is worth noting that newer Pixel phones can be tracked through Find Hub even when switched off, but this obviously doesn’t help those running older phones like the Pixel 7 series. Either way, another layer of security cannot be a bad thing. Other readers, like 1warrior2, suggest it might be a good idea for Google to add such a feature to these older Pixels. I agree.

Notably, a fair number of voters don’t agree. Just under 14% of respondents wouldn’t want Google to add a PIN-to-power-off option on Pixels.

There are also plenty of arguments against implementing this feature in the comments. Several users note that users don’t need a PIN to switch off mobile data or Wi-Fi, arguing that a PIN-to-power-off feature would be largely redundant in this case. I’d argue that not every crook is a criminal mastermind. Many are opportunists, and when faced with additional deterrents like a PIN, there’s every chance that this momentary stumble could be beneficial to your recovery efforts.

Other readers provided interesting counterarguments that are genuinely worth discussing. Commenter sartaxi argues that if their phone was swiped, perhaps thieves switching it off is the best-case scenario:

Call me stupid, but having had my phone swiped out of my hand in London by broad daylight, I was so happy and would continue to prefer thieves to turn on my phone soonest, without giving them any reason to try and find out how to Unlock my phone.

The amount of sensitive data and banking/payment details on phones nowadays are worth a lot more than the hardware, so incentivizing thieves to turn off and factory reset my phone at their earliest convenience is a key security features!

Of course, unless manufacturers start selling their phones with personal security guards, there’s no tangible way for OEMs or Google to guard against every eventuality, especially if your phone is snatched. But given that Google is firmly working to make Android phones less enticing to criminals, more difficult to snatch, and easier to find, a PIN-to-power-off option would be a great addition to the overall anti-theft software package.

Do you think Google should add a PIN lock to the power buttons on Pixel devices? What are your thoughts about your fellow readers’ opinions? Let’s discuss in the comments section below.