Google Messages gets Gemini-based scam checks on more Android phones
An opt-in protection mode will scan unknown senders and links, while Google extends scam detection beyond Pixel to more Android devices.
Google is adding new Android anti-scam protections that use Gemini AI to judge suspicious messages and links in Google Messages, which matters because it pushes more fraud detection into core consumer messaging flows. A new opt-in “enhanced protection” mode will roll out in the coming weeks and uses cloud-based Gemini models to analyze conversations with unrecognized senders, while on-device Gemini Nano checks unfamiliar URLs before users open them. Google says the cloud analysis is done in a secure dedicated space, and the update also blocks apps from turning on call forwarding without notice while hiding sensitive information during screen-sharing in Chrome and Android WebView. The company is also extending Google Messages scam detection beyond Pixel to phones from Honor, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, Xiaomi, and others, with hundreds of millions more users targeted later this year.
Why it matters
The update moves more fraud screening into everyday messaging, where people are most likely to act quickly on unfamiliar texts and links. For users, that means Google Messages can flag risk before a conversation or URL is opened, and the rollout to more Android brands widens the number of people covered. Google also says it will reach hundreds of millions more users later this year.
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Sources
- The Verge