Tech giant Google first unveiled its plans for better scam detection during phone calls for Pixel at the I/O in 2024. Now, we can finally confirm how the feature is rolling out in real time on all Pixel devices.
The innovative and very useful feature will listen to all patterns of conversations that are commonly linked to scams. After getting recognized, the audio and haptic alerts prompt phone owners to be alert for any visual warning signs dubbed ‘Likely Scam’.
In cases when it’s recognized, the audio warning will provide details about the suspicious activity seen on the call and will accompany options to ‘End Call’ or mark the feature as ‘Not a Scam’.
For instance, when callers claim to come from the bank or ask users to transfer funds on an urgent basis due to an account breach, Scam Detection can process these calls to see if the call is spam or not.
Through the Pixel 9 series, the feature is powered with help from Gemini Nano. It’s a safety feature that is also seen on Pixel 6-8a as depicted on other Google robust machine learning systems.
Google says there will be no conversation audios or any kind of transcriptions witnessed on devices sent via the company’s servers or those getting retrieved after a call ends. Remember, all scam detection is switched off by default and only the user can enable it. It can also be removed from the user’s phone settings seen on apps with options to switch it off during certain calls.
Scam Detection will launch in English for all Pixel devices through a public beta. So if you’re located in the US and have the Pixel 6 or a more latest version, you’re good to go. You can simply enable it by entering your Google Phone app settings and then clicking on Scam Detection beta.
Google also is looking forward to the feedback on users’ experience so you can do that by clicking on the Phone tab through the Google App and then selecting Help and Feedback on the menu.
In the meantime, Google Play Protect also has a live threat feature for detection that sends real-time ‘Unsafe app found’ options in case something gets highlighted or noticed by the system. The tech giant seems to be focusing more on stalkerware during the time of the launch before it rolls out to other places like harmful platforms in the future.
According to Google Security blog, "These new security features are available first on Pixel, and are coming soon to more Android devices."
Read next: Google Conducts New Test That Omits Results From EU-Dependent News Publishers
The innovative and very useful feature will listen to all patterns of conversations that are commonly linked to scams. After getting recognized, the audio and haptic alerts prompt phone owners to be alert for any visual warning signs dubbed ‘Likely Scam’.
In cases when it’s recognized, the audio warning will provide details about the suspicious activity seen on the call and will accompany options to ‘End Call’ or mark the feature as ‘Not a Scam’.
For instance, when callers claim to come from the bank or ask users to transfer funds on an urgent basis due to an account breach, Scam Detection can process these calls to see if the call is spam or not.
Through the Pixel 9 series, the feature is powered with help from Gemini Nano. It’s a safety feature that is also seen on Pixel 6-8a as depicted on other Google robust machine learning systems.
Google says there will be no conversation audios or any kind of transcriptions witnessed on devices sent via the company’s servers or those getting retrieved after a call ends. Remember, all scam detection is switched off by default and only the user can enable it. It can also be removed from the user’s phone settings seen on apps with options to switch it off during certain calls.
Scam Detection will launch in English for all Pixel devices through a public beta. So if you’re located in the US and have the Pixel 6 or a more latest version, you’re good to go. You can simply enable it by entering your Google Phone app settings and then clicking on Scam Detection beta.
Google also is looking forward to the feedback on users’ experience so you can do that by clicking on the Phone tab through the Google App and then selecting Help and Feedback on the menu.
In the meantime, Google Play Protect also has a live threat feature for detection that sends real-time ‘Unsafe app found’ options in case something gets highlighted or noticed by the system. The tech giant seems to be focusing more on stalkerware during the time of the launch before it rolls out to other places like harmful platforms in the future.
According to Google Security blog, "These new security features are available first on Pixel, and are coming soon to more Android devices."
Read next: Google Conducts New Test That Omits Results From EU-Dependent News Publishers
