Google’s New Android Tools Shield Against More Scams

In recent years, Google has introduced a variety of protective measures for calls, messages, and web browsing on smartphones, leveraging AI technology to shield users from scams. As we approach the I/O 2025 developers conference, Google has outlined the upcoming safety enhancements set to roll out on Android devices this year.

Cybercriminals frequently trick users into turning off built-in security measures like Google Play Protect, allowing them to sideload harmful applications and grant permissions that facilitate data theft. The new safety features in Android are designed to counter these threats.

Screen sharing warnings for banking scams

The first measure is screen-sharing alerts. Online scammers often impersonate bank or government agents and request screen sharing to execute fraudulent activities, including unauthorized fund transfers or installing harmful software on users’ devices.

To mitigate these risks, Google is collaborating with financial institutions to test an in-call protection feature. When using a banking application during a call with an unknown number, users will receive a warning and be given the option to terminate the call while disabling screen sharing at the same time.

This feature will be available on devices running Android 11 and up, initially starting in the UK. Additionally, Google is broadening the scope of its scam detection capabilities in the Messages app. Previously, it focused mainly on job offers and package delivery scams but will now work to identify a much wider range of scams in real-time.

The AI-driven system will also aim to catch fraudulent road toll notifications, cryptocurrency-related scams, financial impersonation attempts, gift card schemes, and tech support fraud. Furthermore, protection against tech support scams will be extended to the Chrome browser.

Contact verification to prevent identity theft

With identity theft and impersonation fraud becoming alarmingly prevalent, Google has introduced a feature called Key Verifier to help combat these issues. Through the Google Contacts app, users can now verify the contact details of friends and family via a QR code scan, secured by encryption. Once verified, contacts will show up with a green lock icon.

This helps in various scenarios. For instance, if a scammer takes your friend’s phone and sends messages from it, the sender will be marked as unverified, signaling the potential threat. Key Verifier will soon be available on all devices running Android 10 and newer