Android 15 introduces a new security feature called Failed Authentication Lock that locks down your device when the OS detects multiple failed login attempts.
Specifically, Android 15 locks your device when five failed attempts are made at unlocking an app through the BiometricPrompt API.
Failed Authentication Lock is a component of Android’s theft protection suite but is part of the OS rather than Google Play Services.
If you have an Android phone, you should enable the new theft protection feature right away. Theft protection is a suite of security features that’s aimed at deterring theft and protecting data. Most theft protection features are available globally on phones running Android version 10 or higher (excluding Android Go edition), but there’s one new feature that’s only available on the latest version of Android: Android 15.
Failed Authentication Lock is the name of the theft protection feature that locks down your device when Android detects there have been multiple failed login attempts, which could be a sign that a thief is trying to brute force your PIN, pattern, or password. It’s the only feature in Android’s theft protection suite that requires Android 15 to work, and the reason why is because it involves changes to a core framework feature: BiometricPrompt.