Google is expanding Android’s fraud defences with opt-in Gemini-powered scam detection, on-device link checks and new protections for screen sharing and call diversion.
Google is rolling out a new set of anti-fraud and privacy tools for Android, including an optional scam-detection feature in Google Messages that uses Gemini models to assess the intent behind incoming conversations. According to Google’s own support materials, the system is designed to warn users in real time when a message may be part of a scam, while keeping message content within a secure environment unless the user chooses to share it.
The feature is aimed at the kind of social-engineering tactics that often begin with an apparently harmless exchange and then turn suspicious. Google has said the system will look for patterns that suggest the sender may not be genuine, and it will alert users when a conversation appears to drift towards fraud. The company has also described the feature as opt-in, allowing people to decide whether they want the extra layer of protection.
Google is pairing that messaging protection with a separate layer of link safety. Gemini Nano will analyse links on-device before a user taps them in Google Messages, with the company saying the feature will assess whether a link appears safe. Google says this will be available on Pixel 10 devices and later models, as well as selected Samsung handsets, including the Galaxy S26 series and the latest Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold devices.
The company is also broadening the reach of scam warnings that first appeared on Pixel phones, so that more Android users can see alerts directly in message notifications without opening a suspicious text. Google said it is working with manufacturers including Honor, Motorola, OPPO, OnePlus, realme, vivo and Xiaomi to bring the feature to additional devices later this year.
Beyond text scams, Google is adding stronger safeguards for screen sharing and call diversion. On Android 15 and later, the phone system will hide passwords, banking details and card security codes by default when a user shares their screen in Chrome or Android WebView. Google is also preparing a defence against call-forwarding abuse, after saying it had worked with banks in Brazil on a verification system that has helped block more than 3 million fake calls since June.
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