Google Adds New Android Protections To Mitigate Scam Calls And Malware Threats

Google has introduced new safety features for Android devices, aiming to enhance user protection against scam calls and malware with a focus on data privacy.

The updates include Scam Detection within the Google Phone app and real-time alerts through Google Play Protect. Initially, these features will be available on Pixel devices, with plans for a wider release across more Android phones in the coming months.

Scam Detection is Google’s latest response to increasingly sophisticated phone scams, which account for substantial global financial losses.

The feature relies on Gemini Nano, an on-device AI model, to analyze call patterns commonly associated with fraud, such as urgent requests to transfer funds.

If a suspicious call is detected, Scam Detection issues real-time audio and visual warnings, allowing users to assess whether to proceed with the call. This functionality operates entirely on the device, ensuring that no audio data is stored or shared with Google or external servers.

Scam Detection is disabled by default, giving users control over its activation. The feature is available to English-speaking users in the United States enrolled in the Phone by Google public beta on Pixel 6 or newer models.

Alongside Scam Detection, Google has expanded its Google Play Protect service to include real-time alerts for potential malware and unsafe applications.

This enhancement allows Google Play Protect to analyze behavioral signals, such as the use of sensitive permissions and unusual interactions with other apps, to detect malicious software that may attempt to evade detection.

Currently, Google Play Protect’s live threat detection is focused on identifying stalkerware—software that can collect personal or sensitive data without the user’s consent—and may expand to address other types of harmful apps in the future.

Both Scam Detection and live threat detection are designed to operate within Google’s Private Compute Core, ensuring that data analysis happens entirely on-device to prioritize user privacy. These protections are currently available on Pixel 6+ devices, with plans to extend them to additional Android devices soon.