Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Guides

What to keep your phone secure? Here’s how to use Android 9.0 Pie’s Lockdown Mode

By

Google’s Android 9.0 Pie is finally here, bringing a host of great new features to Android phones, along with a few sleek design updates and more. One of the most overlooked new features, however, has nothing to do with design. Lockdown Mode is more security focused — and while it may not be a feature that you use on a daily basis, it’s probably still important to know how to activate it.

Before we dive into how to use Lockdown Mode, we should go over what it actually is. The feature is aimed at people who want to protect their private data from the prying eyes of phone thieves, law enforcement officials, and anyone else who might try and break into your phone without your permission. It blocks things like the fingerprint sensor, facial-recognition, and voice-recognition features from being used. That can be pretty important — it’s already illegal for law enforcement to make you enter your PIN code or a phone pattern, and with Lockdown Mode, they can’t force you to use your fingerprint sensor or facial-recognition tech either.

Recommended Videos

Thankfully, enabling Lockdown Mode is actually very easy. Here’s how to do it.

  • Open the Settings app.
  • Select the Security & Location option.
  • Scroll down and select Lock screen preferences.
  • Toggle on Show lockdown option.

Now, the option to turn on lockdown mode will show up when you need it to. To turn on Lockdown Mode, hold down the power button. You’ll now see a Lockdown option under the power and restart options. Once Lockdown mode is activated and you try to use the fingerprint sensor, you’ll be prompted to use your PIN code, password, or pattern. After entering the code, Lockdown mode will be automatically deactivated — so you’ll need to manually activate it again if you want it to stay on.

Related

To be clear, you will need Android 9.0 Pie to make use of this feature — so if you don’t have the new operating system just yet, check for a software update on your device. Many phones don’t yet support Android 9.0 Pie — though hopefully your phone will get the operating system at some point in the near future.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
How to use recovery mode to fix your Android phone or tablet
Pixel 3 recovery mode

If your Android device is suffering from glitches, slowdowns, or other issues, then you need to find a solution to get it back to normal. When you try virus scans and repairs and they don't work, your next option is to use recovery mode.

Recovery mode will allow you to reboot your system and get a fresh start without any viruses or other issues that were potentially causing you trouble. Discover how to use recovery mode for various devices, including Samsung and LG.
How to boot into recovery mode on a Google Pixel or Nexus device
If you have a device that runs stock Android, such as the Google Pixel 5, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4, or something else, then these are the steps required to boot into recovery mode:

Read more
How to reset default apps in Android
Someone holding a Google Pixel 5. The screen is on and shows the Home Screen with an app folder open.

One of the best things about owning an Android phone is being able to choose your default apps. If you've ever opened a file or an internet link with a certain app, and you chose Always when prompted, then that type of file will be opened with that app every time, saving you from tapping that app every time, and reclaiming some precious time. But what happens if you're the indecisive type or if you suddenly find a better app you'd like to use as your default?

Don’t be afraid to test out different settings, because Android gives you the option to commit to your preferences or switch them to a different app, so you won’t have to change everything back. We’ll walk you through how to reset your app preferences in Android, whether you own a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, or a phone running stock Android.
Stock Android
“Stock Android” refers to any basic Android device that is similar to Google’s version. If you’re the owner of a phone running Stock Android — like the Google Pixel 5, the Xiaomi Mi A3, or the Motorola One Vision, here’s how to reset your app preferences.

Read more
How to delete and recover photos in Android
A

For smartphone users, the camera has become almost a reflex: You see something noteworthy, you capture a snap, and you'll preserve that memory forever. But what if that particular snap isn't worth forever? While paper snapshots are notoriously hard to part with in the hand, digital files in your Android gallery are a lot easier to discard. That said, mistakes happen, and you could change your mind about a picture or video you too quickly threw out.

We show you have to delete photos from your Android phone and to recover them if you change your mind. The example below is in Android 10. While Android phones may differ depending on the operating system and manufacturer, the methods described should be fairly similar.

Read more