Stingray attack: What is it and how this Android 16 feature can keep you safe

Android 16 detects fake cell towers to protect you from Stingray attacks. Here's how to enable this feature to protect yourself from such attacks.

Android 16 introduces a new feature that can detect a fake cell tower and save users from “Stingray” attacks. These attacks include a device that mimics cell towers, tricking smartphones into connecting and exposing sensitive information. Once connected to these fake cell towers, the attacker can access details such as location, calls, texts and even IMEI and IMSI information. Protect yourself from this attack by enabling this feature from Android 16’s settings.

What are Stingray attacks?

This Android 16 feature protects you from Stingray attacks

By Amit Rahi

For the past seven years, I have tracked consumer tech through constant shifts in hardware, platforms, and the way people actually use devices. Covering everything from budget gear to flagship hardware, I focus on what readers need to know, not on buzzwords or launch cycle hype. My expertise spans gaming laptops and chairs, high-performance PCs, gaming monitors, printers, smartwatches, earphones, headphones, Bluetooth speakers, tablets, and more, with a particular emphasis on how these products hold up in daily use. Reviews, explainers, buying guides, and news pieces all share the same goal: giving readers enough detail to make confident decisions without wading through fluff. Away from deadlines, I spend a lot of time gaming and watching films and anime, which naturally filters back into the work. Performance, comfort, display quality, and sound are judged the way players and viewers experience them, not just by lab numbers, which keeps my coverage grounded in real scenarios rather than just benchmarks.

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A Stingray or cell-site simulator is a portable device that simulates a real cell tower. Once a phone connects to it, attackers can intercept unencrypted communications and even force devices onto less secure 2G networks. The tools are often used by law enforcement agencies, but hackers can misuse them.

How does Android 16’s fake cell tower detection work?

Android 16’s new Mobile Network Security feature actively monitors the device’s network connections. Android 16 will immediately notify you if the smartphone connects to an unencrypted network, which could be a Stingray device. This is a big update since previous versions offered little to no detection of such attacks.

How to enable and use the fake cell tower detection in Android 16

The feature works in the background and it requires the latest hardware to work. Smartphones equipped with modems that support Android Radio HAL 3.0 can use this feature. Only smartphones launched with the latest Android 16 can use this feature.

1. Go to Settings on your Android 16 smartphone.
2. Open Security and privacy and go to the Safety Centre.
3. Enable network notifications under the Notifications subsection. This will notify you whenever your phone is connected to an unencrypted network.
4. Also, enable the 2G network protection toggle. This enhances security by avoiding connecting to 2G networks that are less secure.

Once these settings are enabled, you will receive a notification when your phone is connected to an unencrypted network, which could be a Stingray device. The smartphone will also notify you if any details have been accessed by the network.