Google announces enhanced AI scam protection for Android

Google announced new anti-scam features for Android. An optional enhanced protection setting will roll out in Google Messages in the coming weeks and use cloud-based Gemini models to quickly evaluate conversations with unrecognized senders, supplementing on-device detection. Google says the data will be encrypted and processed in a secure dedicated space that the company and third parties cannot access. On-device Gemini Nano will also inspect real-time web signals in unfamiliar URLs before they are opened to identify malicious links.

Other features include blocking apps from enabling call forwarding, with a user notification, and automatically hiding sensitive information during screen-sharing in Chrome and Android WebView. Scam detection for chat notifications, previously available on Pixel phones, will expand to devices from Honor, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, Xiaomi and other brands; Google says it will reach hundreds of millions of additional users later this year.