Google will crack down on scammers. Android phones will get new features to prevent you from falling victim

Scammers no longer rely solely on clumsy SMS messages about undelivered packages. They call from masked numbers, impersonate banks, and ask for verification codes. Google therefore announced on Wednesday that Android’s scam protection will receive several reinforcements – from smarter link checking in Google Messages to a safeguard that prevents subtle call forwarding.

According to the company, scam detection in the Google Phone and Messages apps currently flags over 5 million suspicious calls and messages per month. The new features were introduced on its blog to mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month and will roll out to users gradually over several weeks to months.

Google Messages to get enhanced protection

The biggest new feature is the enhanced protection mode in Google Messages (called Enhanced protection in the English interface). This is an optional setting that you must enable yourself, and it unlocks the strongest defensive mechanisms the app has.

Scam detection in this mode will receive a boost from the cloud. When you’re chatting with an unknown sender, a more powerful Gemini model in the cloud can now evaluate the conversation, better detecting slowly unfolding scams – typically those where the other party pretends to be a new acquaintance for a long time, engaging in a very kind and friendly conversation before money is mentioned. The analysis runs in an environment where data is allegedly processed encrypted and no one else has access to it. This also applies to Google itself.

Link checking will also be strengthened. Google Messages already warns about known phishing websites, but scammers often create entirely new domains that are not yet on any list. With enhanced protection, an unknown link will therefore be assessed by Gemini Nano directly on the phone based on current web signals before it is opened. However, this part will only run on Pixel 10 and newer, the Galaxy S26 series, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Flip8 foldables, and selected other models.

The third component of the mode is a more prominent warning for links from numbers not in your contacts. The redesigned notification will give you a moment to think before you accidentally tap on a link. Previously, only users in selected countries or those who enabled Android’s Advanced Protection had this. It is now expected to work on phones running Android 6 and newer.

Notification warnings to reach hundreds of millions of users

On Pixels, scam detection directly in chat app notifications has been active since last November. The phone will flag a suspicious message in the pulled-down notification shade even before you open the conversation. Google is now expanding this feature in cooperation with manufacturers to phones from Honor, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Vivo, or Xiaomi and several others, so hundreds of millions of additional users should receive it by the end of the year.

However, the Czech Republic is not yet among the countries where scam detection works. According to Google’s help pages, it is available in countries like the USA, UK, Germany, France, or Spain, and supported languages include English, German, or French – Czech is currently missing from the list. The company did not state whether this will change with the current expansion.

Android also fights phone scams

Scammers often call pretending to be bank or operator employees and ask you to dial a short code on your phone. In reality, this enables call forwarding to their number – and with it, calls containing one-time verification codes will start going to them, allowing them to take over your accounts. Android will now prevent apps from silently enabling call forwarding in the background. If you enter the code manually, the system will warn you that it is likely a scam before it is executed. This safeguard will arrive on Pixels and selected other phones in early December.

The change also concerns screen sharing. Android already automatically hides sensitive data in its own apps, and will now do so in Chrome browser and apps built on WebView. During sharing, it will obscure login fields and payment forms, including the card’s security code. This feature is expanding this month to devices running Android 15 and newer.

Furthermore, in Brazil, Android, in cooperation with banking apps, verifies whether a call from a bank is actually coming from the bank. If the verification fails, the call is automatically terminated, and you are notified. With just two local banks, over 3 million spoofed calls have been blocked since June. Revolut, which also has clients in the Czech Republic, has joined the program – however, Google did not specify in which countries its verification works.

Would you enable enhanced protection, even if your messages from unknown senders are assessed by Gemini in the cloud?

Sources: Google, 9to5Google, PhoneArena