Keeping data like your passwords, private messages and photos, health and banking details, and location data safe is critical. That’s why Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are designed to help protect your information and keep you in control – with multiple layers of hardware security in the chips that run your phone and the highest-rated security features,¹ like a virtual private network (VPN).² Security for Pixel is built right in, providing the protection you need to get the most out of your phone. And with seven years of guaranteed security updates, your Pixel gets even more secure over time.³

Anytime you use your Pixel, your data is protected by the Google Tensor G4 chip and the certified Titan M2 security chip, which offer layers of Pixel hardware security to help keep your personal info safe. Derived from the same chip used to protect Google Cloud data centers, Titan M2 is tested against the international gold standard used for security chips in identity cards, SIM cards, and bank cards.⁴ Google also uses Private Compute Core for features like Live Translate,⁵ spam detection in Messages,⁶ and Smart Reply – so they can safely provide intelligent, personalized experiences right on your device, without using the cloud. 

And with Google Pixel phones, Protected Computing helps keep your health and wellness data private. For example, with your permission, cough and snore detection in the Digital Wellbeing app can help you understand the quality of your sleep by analyzing audio during the night.⁷ That audio data is processed right on your secure phone.

Getting your phone stolen – you hope it never happens to you, but it’s still important to take precautions. That’s why theft protection is such an important part of security for Pixel features.⁸ They can help keep your personal information safe before, during, and after a thief nabs your device – even if it was unlocked.

Theft protection includes new features that make it difficult for someone to access your sensitive information. Revamped Factory Reset Protection frustrates any thief who tries to resell your phone without knowing your Google Account info. 

Now let’s say someone does steal your Pixel, and it’s unlocked. Theft protection and Google AI can sense if someone makes off with your phone, then quickly lock the screen and prevent anyone from accessing your personal data. 

Theft protection will keep you safe in other ways, too. The Failed Authentication Lock feature, for example, will lock your screen if someone makes an excessive number of authentication attempts. And if someone tries to turn off your Pixel and go off the grid to stop you from tracking them, Pixel’s Offline Device Lock will automatically protect your info. 

Unfortunately, when someone steals your phone, you don’t always notice it right away. But the Remote Lock feature can help. If your Pixel is already gone, this feature lets you easily lock the screen from another phone or computer, making it harder to use or resell. 

Your Pixel phone lets you create a separate space for the apps you don’t want others to see on your phone. For instance, you may hand your phone to a friend who left theirs at home and needs to check their email. Private space⁸ makes sure they won’t be able to stumble upon your health or financial data. To set it up, head to Settings, then Security & privacy, then Privacy, and then tap Private space. This creates a separate area at the bottom of your All Apps grids for keeping private apps hidden and protected with an extra layer of authentication. On a secure smartphone like your Pixel, peace of mind and privacy are only a few taps away.  

Of course, there are some situations when your data is especially at risk and you want extra precautions. Case in point: using public networks, such as the free Wi-Fi at the gym or the airport. 

There’s a simple solution, though – VPN by Google. A VPN is an extra layer of security that protects your privacy,² and it’s built right into your Pixel. Here’s how it works: When you visit a website, your device sends data through the Wi-Fi router and your internet service provider. If you want to keep this information private, a VPN can help by creating an encrypted connection for your device. “What a VPN does is provide a tunnel directly into the site that you want,” says Herb Lin, a senior cybersecurity researcher at Stanford University. “If anybody listens in along the way, all they pick up is gibberish.”

But not all VPN security is the same, says Jason Hong, a cybersecurity expert and professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. VPNs can protect you against some outside attackers, but you need to trust that your VPN service won’t snoop on your traffic. “Using a VPN doesn’t necessarily mean that your data is private, because the company that’s offering you the VPN can still inspect traffic,” Hong says.

To turn on VPN by Google on your Pixel, open Settings. Tap Network & internet, then VPN, then VPN by Google. Then review the disclosures and permissions, and if you agree, tap Use VPN. Note that Google will never use your VPN connection to track, collect, or sell your online activity.

An intrusion or breach can be devastating. Having the right protections built into your Pixel will help keep your personal information safe, so you can focus on work, play, and everything else your smartphone has to offer.