Smartphones have always been a shiny target for thieves, so device makers have been striving to come up with solutions to both prevent and solve such a situation, if it ever arises.

While both iOS and Android bundle their own solution to the problem, Sony has also announced the advent of a new anti-theft feature which is pretty similar to Device Protection found in Android 5.1.

Basically, what Sony’s new anti-theft feature does is make it impossible for someone to access a Sony device without the proper credentials, even as the phone or tablet has been wiped squeaky clean. Sony also lets you locate the missing device via My Xperia Website.

The new tool is called My Xperia Theft Protection (or MXTP for short), and in order to offer the proper protection, it will dig into the device’s bootloader.
MXTP digs deep to offer the best protection

MXTP will ask you to enter your Google credentials associated with the Sony Xperia account during the boot process, to verify if you are who you say you are.

When the device goes into Lockdown mode, all the application processes will be stopped and no outgoing calls can be made. As for incoming calls, they will be saved into the voicemail. The USB port will be active, but will be only available to be used for charging.

How is Lockdown activated? The mode can be automatically triggered if someone does a software repair or performs a flashing process. Moreover, if the associated Google Account is deleted, the device will also go under lockdown.

MXTP can be disabled or get its settings modified, but doing that requires legit authorization.

Last but not least, MXTP can be triggered directly from Xperia’s website. However, keep in mind that if MXTP kicks in after the device has been wiped out, the opportunity to locate the device will be lost, but at least the thief will be prevented from using the device.

While the MXTP sounds good on paper, the feature might clash with users who normally flash their devices for legit reasons. Naturally, the lawful owners will be able to bypass MXTP without problems, but the process might prove to be annoying for some.

On the other hand, on devices with unlocked bootloaders, MXTP is automatically disabled. The anti-theft feature is currently available only on three Sony devices including the Xperia M4 Aqua, Xperia C4, and Xperia Z4 Tablet.