Google Is Expanding Its Use of AI to Protect You From Scams

Scammers and cyber attackers are always looking for new ways to steal your information, and even the most cautious among us can be at risk when using our mobile devices for everyday activities. Google is rolling out new security features for Android to help users protect against scams, fraud, and theft, and revealed a bunch of them during its mobile-focused event "The Android Show: I/O Edition," leading up to this year's Google I/O event starting May 20.

Here's what's coming soon to your Android device.

Expanded scam detection features

Google recently rolled out real-time, AI-powered scam detection that alerts users to possible fraud when suspicious conversational patterns are found in Google Messages and Phone by Google. The feature, available for Pixel devices, will now cover a wider net of scams, including package delivery scams, job seeking scams, toll road and billing fee scams, crypto scams, financial impersonation scams, gift card and prize scams, and tech support scams.

In-call scam protections are also expanding and will prevent users from taking actions that put their data at risk or open the door for malware. While on the phone with non-contacts, you won't be able to disable Google Play Protect, sideload new apps from web browsers or messaging apps, or grant accessibility permissions. You'll also get a notification to stop screen sharing at the end of a call. In-call protections for Google Play Protect are available for Android 6+, while sideloading and accessibility limits are available on Android 16.

Finally, Google is piloting in-call protections for banking apps. To protect against impersonation scams that compromise financial account information, your device will warn you if you launch a participating banking app while screen sharing with an unknown contact with a one-tap "End call" button. Android 11+ users in the UK will have first access to the feature in the coming weeks.

Improved theft protection features

In the last year, Google released a number of theft protection features to help secure your data if your device was lost or stolen. Remote Lock, which allows you to lock down your Android or wipe it remotely, will now have a security challenge question to prevent unauthorized access, and Factory Reset protections will be expanded.

Identity Check—originally rolled out to Pixel and Samsung One UI 7 device—will be available on more supported devices that upgrade to Android 16. This feature requires biometric authentication to access certain resources when you're outside of trusted locations.

Finally, Android 16 will hide one-time passwords on your lock screen when your device is not connected to wifi and hasn't been unlocked recently to prevent thieves from utilizing them to access your accounts.

Key Verifier for Google Messages

Google Messages is getting a new feature to help you confirm that you're chatting with who you think you are (rather than a scammer impersonating someone you know). With Key Verifier, the person will have to confirm that your contact keys in the Google Contacts app match by scanning a QR code or comparing numbers, which will then mark them as verified.

If their number is compromised in some way, such as in a SIM swap attack, the verification will disappear, letting you know that your conversation may not be secure. Key Verifier will be available sometime this summer for devices running Android 10+.

Live threat detection for apps

Google Play Protect, which runs safety checks on apps before they're installed on your device, is getting an upgrade. Live threat detection will run continuously on-device and in real time to quickly identify suspicious patterns or behavior that may indicate malware and alert you before apps are even installed. This update is available now for all Android users.

Device-level Advanced Protection

Google's Advanced Protection program adds extra security for users who carry sensitive data or have greater privacy concerns, such as journalists, activists, and executives. When enrolled, you're required to enter your passkey or security to access your account and may get more frequent alerts related to malware risks. Android 16 now has a device-level Advanced Protection security setting for anyone who prioritizes security in addition to account-level safeguards.

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