Starling adds motion-sensor lock to block phone snatch thefts

Starling Bank is using built-in motion sensors in customers’ phones to lock its mobile banking app if a sudden grab is detected. To reopen, users must authenticate with Face ID, a fingerprint or a passcode.

The change follows a rise in snatch phone thefts in the UK. The Office for National Statistics recorded an estimated 272,000 reported phone-theft incidents in the year to March 2025.

The bank’s software monitors the device’s motion sensor for movements that match a sudden seizure and automatically freezes app access when such a pattern occurs. After a lock, biometric authentication or the passcode is required.

Snatch thefts are often carried out by organised groups who grab phones from pedestrians while passing on bicycles or motorbikes. The bank reported that many customers contact it after losing a phone and that the app’s existing protections typically block unauthorised use but do not stop the disruption caused by a theft.

Harriet Rees, Starling’s chief information officer, described customers calling to report stolen phones and quoted the common report ‘my phone’s been stolen’. Rees added that the feature reduces the time a thief might have to try accessing banking services and cuts follow-up calls and security procedures for affected customers.