Google has announced the official rollout of real-time Scam Detection for Pixel devices following its demonstration at the Google I/O 2024 conference in May. This feature, designed to detect fraudulent calls on the fly, is available for Pixel 6 devices and newer, providing users with a proactive tool to guard against phone-based scams.
The Scam Detection feature analyses live call conversations for patterns often associated with common scams. For instance, if a caller impersonates a bank representative and urges the user to transfer funds due to a supposed account breach, the system can identify these tactics.
The tool is currently rolling out to English-speaking Pixel users enrolled in the public beta program within the United States, reports 9to5Google. Users can enable the feature by navigating to Settings > Scam Detection within Google Phone app.
Meanwhile, live threat detection is being gradually introduced to Pixel devices and is expected to arrive on more devices from other manufacturers soon.
If it detects suspicious patterns, Scam Detection will activate both an audio and haptic alert, prompting the user to check their phone’s screen. A ‘Likely scam’ warning will appear, accompanied by options to ‘End Call’ or mark it as ‘Not a scam’ if the call is legitimate.
Google assures that Scam Detection’s privacy protocols are robust: no audio from the conversation is stored, transmitted, or retained on the device or Google’s servers. Scam Detection is disabled by default, requiring users to activate it manually through the Google Phone app settings.
Additionally, users can disable Scam Detection for specific calls, providing flexibility in usage.
Alongside Scam Detection, Google is expanding its focus on app security by introducing live threat detection for applications. Initially available on Pixel 6 and newer models, this feature targets and flags ‘stalker ware’ — software that covertly collects user data without consent.
The feature will issue a real-time warning labelled ‘Unsafe app found’ if it identifies potentially harmful applications on the device.
This advanced detection, powered by Google’s Private Compute Core, examines app behaviour in real-time, identifying malicious apps that may otherwise detection by lying dormant or attempting to hide suspicious activity.
Google has indicated plans to broaden the reach of live threat detection to include additional types of harmful applications in the future and expand this feature to other Android devices.
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