A phone thief needs seconds. Nine settings make your phone useless to them, and #4 holds even if they watched you type your PIN.
Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection. It uses motion sensors to spot a snatch-and-run on foot, bike or car, then locks the screen instantly.
Offline Device Lock sits in the same menu. If a thief kills the connection while the phone is unlocked, it locks itself shortly after going offline.
Turn it on now, and any browser can lock a stolen phone at android.com/lock using just your number. It needs an active SIM and Find Hub switched on.
Identity Check demands your fingerprint or face to change the PIN, reach passkeys or turn off theft protection whenever you are outside your trusted places.
Failed Authentication Lock locks the phone after repeated wrong unlock attempts. It is on by default, so check the Theft protection menu that nobody turned it off.
Settings > Google > All services > Find Hub > Find your offline devices. Choose a network mode so nearby Android phones can report where yours last was.
Search Settings for SIM lock. A locked SIM can't be moved to another phone to catch your texts and login codes. Change the carrier's default PIN first.
Every lock above depends on a screen lock. A 4-digit PIN has 10,000 combinations; a 6-digit one has a million, and a pattern is easy to read over a shoulder.
Search Settings for Backup and confirm photos, contacts and app data are syncing. Then wiping a stolen phone costs you hardware, not memories.
Most of these live in one menu: Settings > Google > All services > Theft protection. Want one switch that hardens everything? Look at Advanced Protection.