Google Play services enables useful services on your device and helps make your device more secure and reliable. Security is one such service provided as part of Google Play services. Learn more about services enabled through Google Play services.
Important: Google Play services is different from the Google Play Store.
Google Play services for security provides useful features to keep your device secure, like:
- Phone lock features like your device lock and Smart Lock
- Smart Lock lets you keep your phone unlocked when it's with you, like when:
- You carry your phone with you
- You’re near your home or another trusted place of your choice
- reCAPTCHA services and protection against spam apps
- Detection and blocking of any spam calls and SMS on supported devices
- Syncing your bookmarks, passwords, and credit cards across all your devices when connected through your Google Account
- Help to find your lost device
- Automatically filling in the verification codes you receive by text messages for account sign-in and recovery
Important: Some security functionality works only on Android 9 and up. Learn how to check and update your Android version.
How to control your security preferences
To locate your lost device, go to Settings 
To manage your passwords, go to Settings and search password manager and select your Google Account
To manage Smart Lock, go to Settings and search for Smart Lock and tap manage your preferences.
How Google Play Services for security handles your data
Google Play services for security may collect and share certain information and use certain permissions to support security related functionality on your device, like the examples described above.
Permissions useGoogle Play services for security may use device permissions like:
- Location may be used to enable features like find my device, set up Smart Lock, and to help you verify your digital payment transactions.
- Phone information may be used in the background to improve the security and reliability of your device.
- Physical activity permission may be used to let you keep your device unlocked when it is on your body via the Smart Lock feature.
- Nearby devices may be used in the background to help you with security features like:
- Using your phone as a security key when you sign in to another nearby device.
- Adding a trusted Bluetooth device with Smart Lock to keep your phone unlocked when connected.
- Call logs may be used in the background to detect and block spam calls on supported devices.
- SMS may be used in the background to allow verification for apps and services on your device, like Google Account sign-in and recovery, autofill of one-time SMS verification codes for apps on your device, and SMS verification for your digital wallet and payments.
Google Play services for security may also collect and store the following data to support security related functionality:
- Personal information like phone number, email address, encrypted passcode, location, and other information may be collected and used to provide Security functionality.
- Device and account identifiers such as Android Device ID, IP address, and Google Account ID are also used to enable some of the functionality described above.
Any information that Google collects is handled in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy.