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These new Android tools could stop scammers from robbing your loved ones blind

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR Google is introducing new security features across Android, Messages, and Contacts to combat increasingly sophisticated text and phone scams. Android adds in-call protections, blocking sensitive actions like sideloading and warning about screen sharing with unknown contacts. Messages gets broader on-device scam detection, while Key Verifier in Contacts will help confirm contact identities to prevent impersonation. Text and phone call scams have been a problem for years, but recent advancements in AI have made them increasingly sophisticated and harder to detect. While awareness and vigilance are crucial for identifying these scams before they succeed, Google is stepping in to help protect users. The company is introducing new security features across Android, Messages, and Contacts specifically aimed at exposing scammers and preventing people from falling victim. New in-call security protections in Android Many scammers try to pressure victims into installing malware on their Android phone or leaking financial details during phone calls, often employing psychological tricks aided by voice manipulation tools. To combat this, Android is introducing enhanced protections during calls, including disabling certain sensitive actions and warning users if they might be speaking with a scammer. One key protection, which Google piloted in Singapore last year and has now rolled out globally, prevents users from disabling Google Play Protect while on a phone call. Google Play Protect is Android's built-in security feature that safeguards users from potentially harmful apps and malware. Enabled by default on devices with Google Play Store access, it scans apps before installation, monitors app behavior for suspicious activity, and can warn about or automatically remove dangerous apps. Blocking its deactivation during calls removes a loophole scammers might try to exploit. Next, Android 16 will block users from enabling two sensitive capabilities often exploited by scammers during phone calls: app sideloading and accessibility services. Scammers frequently guide victims to sideload malicious apps from unknown sources, so Android 16 will temporarily prevent users from enabling the 'Install unknown apps' permission while on a call. Similarly, scammers trick victims into granting powerful accessibility permissions to malicious apps, allowing them to read screen content and control the device. To counter this, Android 16 will block users from enabling accessibility services for any app during a phone call, although services that were already enabled before the call will continue to function. Google Dialog warning the user that they can't enable an app's accessibility service during a phone call in Android 16. Lastly, Android is getting new protections against screen-sharing bank scams. If you're screen sharing a banking app while on a phone call with an unknown contact, Android will 'warn you about the potential dangers and give you the option to end the call and to stop screen sharing with one tap.' Google is working with several banks in the UK to pilot this feature in the coming weeks and will assess the results ahead of a wider rollout. The feature works on Android 11 and later and will be automatically enabled for participating banking apps. Google Dialog warning the user not to screen share during a phone call with an unknown contact Google says these new in-call protections happen 'completely on device' and are only applied during conversations with non-contacts, so you should still be able to help your grandparents over the phone. Better Scam Detection in Google Messages Last year, Google rolled out an update to its Google Messages app that introduced a Scam Detection feature. The feature uses an on-device AI algorithm to detect package delivery and job scams. Google is now expanding Scam Detection to detect a 'wider variety of sophisticated scams', including: Toll road and other billing fee scams Crypto scams Financial impersonation scams Gift card and prize scams Technical support scams And more Google Scam Detection in Google Messages warning about a toll scam Scam Detection in Google Messages processes your messages on-device and displays a warning whenever it detects a likely scam. Scam Detection is part of Google Messages' broader spam protection features, so to disable it, you must turn off spam detection. Verifying your contacts with Key Verifier Google is finally sharing more details on another safety feature it announced last year: Key Verifier. Key Verifier makes it harder for scammers to impersonate one of your contacts. Scammers often try to message victims using a phone number belonging to one of the victim's contacts, which can happen as the result of a SIM swap attack. Normally, there's no way to tell that the message is coming from a device that doesn't belong to your contact. With the Key Verifier feature, though, you'll know when your contact's number may have been compromised — their contact verification status will be marked as 'no longer verified' in the Google Contacts app. Scanning a QR code to verify a contact in Google Contacts Google Contacts app displaying a verified badge for verified contacts This feature works by letting you and your contact verify each other's identity through public encryption keys. You can verify your contact's keys in the Google Contacts app, either by scanning a QR code or by comparing numbers, to ensure that the person on the other end of the conversation is your genuine contact. Under the hood, this feature is powered by the Android System Key Verifier app, so if you've been wondering why that app suddenly appeared on your Android phone a few months ago, this is why. However, the Key Verifier feature isn't quite ready to launch; Google says it'll launch later this summer in the Google Messages app on Android 10+ devices. These new anti-scam protections are only some of the announcements that Google made today during The Android Show: I/O Edition. They're not even the only new security features that Google announced. For more coverage from The Android Show, check out the Android Authority home page! Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.