Google Messages app gets real-time Scam Detection feature powered by AI

Google’s March Pixel Drop has brought several new, exclusive features for its Pixel devices. These include a multi-camera livestream, an easier way to share a friend’s location, and more.

However, one highlight is an update to Google Messages—the app can now detect possible text scams in real-time using on-device AI. Google aptly calls this ‘Scam Detection’ and it essentially identifies suspicious messages and notifies users with a real-time warning that says, “Likely scam”.

Notably, such an alert is now more prominent on-screen. Previously, the app can detect if a message is a spam based on similar text messages a user receives. Then it just shows a small card at the top of the conversation.

In the new update, the app can identify suspicious activity based on conversational text patterns that are commonly associated with scams.

Scam Detection also works in phone calls, powered by Gemini Nano. Just like in text messages, the AI detects conversational patterns that scammers usually say.

Additionally, since Scam Detection utilizes on-device AI, those conversations remain intact and private to users, at least according to Google.

For now, though, this feature alongside the new ones is exclusive to Pixel devices. Google hasn’t mentioned anything yet about expanding this feature to other devices, so that remains to be seen.

If that ever happens, it would be a huge addition, especially for the average Filipino user who likely receives scam texts more often than not.

Learn more about the rest of the March Pixel Drop in Google’s blog here.