Starling Bank has launched a snatch theft detector, a feature designed to lock its banking app instantly if a customer's phone is physically stolen. The bank said the tool addresses a 64% increase in phone-related fraud during the summer months.
Detecting theft through phone sensors
The feature is intended to protect customers against physical phone theft, which the bank said accounted for 272,000 incidents in the UK in the year ending March 2025. Using a smartphone's built-in accelerometer, the tool is designed to identify the motion signature associated with a device being taken forcibly from a user's hand, including thefts involving a moped, bicycle, or on foot.
When high-velocity movement consistent with a snatch is detected, the Starling app locks itself automatically. Access then requires a biometric scan or passcode, meaning account information remains hidden even if the phone itself is unlocked at the time of the theft. Starling said the feature is designed to address account takeover fraud linked to the reported 64% summer increase in phone-related losses.
Safe locations feature targets shoulder surfing
Alongside the snatch theft detector, Starling has introduced a Safe locations feature, which allows customers to designate specific geographic areas, such as their home, as trusted zones for higher-value transactions. The feature is aimed at addressing shoulder surfing scams, in which a criminal observes a victim entering their passcode before stealing the device.
Customers can use the feature to restrict withdrawals from savings 'Spaces' to specific trusted locations. Any attempt to move money outside a designated safe location triggers a facial recognition request, meaning that even if a thief has obtained a phone's passcode, they cannot access savings without the account holder's biometric profile. Starling said the feature is intended to make it harder to execute unauthorised faster payments, which the bank said increased by 21% during peak summer periods.
Additional security recommendations
Alongside the new features, Starling is encouraging customers to adopt additional security habits during summer travel and events. A company official at Starling said that while the bank cannot prevent a phone from being physically stolen, it can take steps to protect the funds held within associated accounts.
The bank recommends that customers use app passcodes that differ from their phone's lock screen code, and that they enable device-tracking services such as Find My on iOS and Android, which allow for remote data wiping if a device is lost or stolen.
Broader context
The launch reflects a wider industry focus on addressing fraud linked to physical device theft, as banks look for technical measures to complement traditional account security features such as passcodes and biometric authentication. As mobile banking apps continue to handle an increasing share of everyday transactions, tools designed to respond to physical theft in real time may become a more common feature among UK banking providers.
