Android Enhances Messages with Gemini and Expands Anti-Scam Features

Google plans to expand scam detection beyond Pixel devices to brands like Honor, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, and Xiaomi, aiming to reach hundreds of millions of additional users later this year. Meanwhile, enhanced protection in Google Messages is set to roll out in the coming weeks, leveraging Gemini in the cloud and Gemini Nano on-device. The mode will remain optional, and Google states that the encrypted analysis takes place in a secure space. Other measures target call forwarding and screen sharing.

Detection Expands to Honor, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, and Xiaomi

Scam detection for chat notifications, initially introduced last year on Pixel phones, is set to extend to devices from Honor, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Tecno, Vivo, Xiaomi, and other manufacturers. Google aims to benefit hundreds of millions of additional users later this year. Additionally, a new enhanced protection setting in Google Messages has been announced for deployment in the coming weeks.

Gemini in the Cloud and Nano on Device to Analyze Messages and Links

The announced enhanced protection relies on cloud-hosted Gemini models to quickly assess the intentions of an unrecognized sender during a conversation. According to Google, this secure analysis complements the detection already performed on-device and allows for the identification of new and sophisticated attacks while actively discovering and stopping abuses that attempt to cover their tracks. The company specifies that data is encrypted during analysis and processed in a dedicated secure space that neither Google nor anyone other than the user can access. The enhanced protection mode will remain optional and also utilizes Gemini Nano on-device to inspect web signals in unknown URLs sent to the user before opening, to determine if the links are malicious. Google emphasizes that scammers often disguise their true intentions behind slow conversations.

Blocking Call Forwarding and Masking During Screen Sharing

Among other announced tools, Android plans to block applications that enable call forwarding and alert the user when an attempt occurs. The system will also automatically mask sensitive information during screen sharing in Chrome and Android WebView. These new features complement the enhanced protection in Google Messages and are part of a broader set of anti-fraud measures.