Google Messages is introducing an AI feature to help protect Android users from fraudulent text messages. The new AI-powered fraud detection tool was announced today along with other new features, including real-time location sharing in the Find Me app for Android users, as well as features specifically for Pixel smartphone owners, such as support for multi-camera video streaming and new text-to-picture options in Pixel Studio.
Google Messaging’s fraud detection feature works by monitoring SMS, MMS, and RCS messages in real time to identify suspicious patterns. Once a suspected fraud is detected, Google Messages shows users a warning message that allows them to quickly ignore it or report and block the sender. Google says this feature is designed to combat “text scams that start out innocently” but later evolve into dishonest schemes.
“Traditional anti-spam protections focus on protecting users before a conversation begins and are less effective against the latest tactics of fraudsters who become dangerous in the middle of a conversation and use social engineering techniques,” said Alberto Pastor Nieto, senior product manager for Google Messages. “To better protect users, we’ve invested in new intelligent artificial intelligence models that can detect suspicious patterns and provide real-time alerts during conversations, with user privacy as our top priority.”
Scam Detection is being launched in English and will initially be available in the US, UK, and Canada, with other countries to follow shortly. The feature is enabled by default and only monitors conversations with people who are not saved in your contact list. Google says that all message processing takes place on the device to keep user conversations private. The feature can be disabled in the anti-spam settings in Google Messages.
Another feature that Android users are now able to use is the ability to share their location information with “trusted contacts” in the Find Me app. Google says that location data is “securely stored” and that users can choose with whom they want to share their location and for how long, and the app will regularly remind them of who they are sharing this information with. A similar feature was already available on Google Maps, but now people can coordinate meetings or find lost friends in the same app that is used to find missing devices.
Google is also rolling out additional features that are only available on Pixel devices. Pixel 9 users can now connect GoPro cameras or other Pixel phones to their device via Bluetooth and WiFi to stream video from multiple angles to compatible apps, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok – similar to Apple’s multi-camera feature on the iPad and iPhone. Pixel 9 users can also use the Pixel Studio app to create images or stickers of people. They will be stylized, not realistic, to prevent misuse of the tool.
Other updates to the Pixel 9 include support for satellite messaging on both Verizon and T-Mobile, as well as suggestions in Pixel Screenshots that automatically recommend which screenshots should be added to a user’s collections. Transcription has also been updated for Pixel watches, Pixel tablets, and Pixel phones 6 and later, allowing users to transfer audio recordings from older devices, automatically transcribe them, and save them to the Voice Recorder app.
All of the features mentioned in this article are being rolled out today, but it may take a few weeks for them to appear on supported devices.
