Google Messages is launching an artificial intelligence feature designed to help protect Android users from text message scams. The new AI-powered scam detection tool launches today alongside other new features, including real-time location sharing in the Find My app for Android users, as well as features exclusively for Pixel users like multi-camera streaming support and a new text-to-picture option in Pixel Studio.
Scam detection in Google Messages detects suspicious patterns by monitoring SMS, MMS and RCS messages in real time. Once a possible scam is detected, Google Messages will send users a warning message, allowing them to quickly delete the message or report and block the sender. Google says the feature is designed to combat "conversational text scams" that "start out with no malicious intent" but later begin to carry out nefarious plans.
Fraud detection kicks in if it detects suspicious activity from a stranger you're texting.
"Traditional spam protection measures focus on protecting users before a conversation begins, and are less effective against the latest tactics of scammers using social engineering techniques to carry out dangerous attacks in the middle of a conversation," said Alberto Pastor Nieto, senior product manager for Google Messaging. "To better protect our users, we have invested in new intelligent AI models that are able to detect suspicious patterns and provide real-time warnings during conversations while prioritizing user privacy."
Scam detection is released in English and is rolling out first in the US, UK and Canada, with expansion to more countries "soon". This feature is on by default and only monitors conversations with people who are not saved in your contact list. Google says all information processing happens on-device to keep user conversations private. This feature can be disabled under the spam protection settings of Google Messages.
Another feature starting to roll out to Android users today is the ability to share real-time location information with Trusted Contacts in the Find My app. Google says location data is "securely stored" and users can choose who they share their location information with and for how long. Google Maps already has a similar feature, but now people can coordinate a party or find a lost friend in this app for finding lost devices.
Google also announced additional features that will only be available on Pixel devices. Pixel 9 owners can now connect a GoPro camera or other Pixel phone to their device via Bluetooth and WiFi to stream from different angles on compatible apps including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok – similar to the multi-camera feature on Apple’s iPads and iPhones. Pixel 9 users can now also use the Pixel Studio app to generate pictures or stickers of people. The stickers will be stylized rather than realistic to prevent the tool from being misused.
Other updates for Pixel 9 include support for satellite text messaging from Verizon and T-Mobile, as well as suggestions in PixelScreenshots, which will automatically recommend which screenshots should be added to a user's collection. The transcription feature has also been updated for Pixel watches, Pixel tablets, and Pixel 6 phones and newer, allowing users to transfer audio recordings from older devices and have them automatically transcribed and saved in the Voice Recorder app.
All of the features mentioned in this article will start rolling out today, but it may take a few weeks to appear on supported devices.