Google Messages is trying to banish spammy job-seeking and package-delivery texts from your inbox, and it’s besides adding a contented informing to blur images that mightiness incorporate nudity.
The Sensitive Content Warning characteristic is optional, and if enabled, it will show users a “speed bump” pinch “help-finding resources and options” earlier they tin position an image pinch nudity detected via on-device scanning. If users effort to stock an image pinch nudity, the app will pass them astir the risks.
With each of the scanning done on-device, Google says it doesn’t spot the contents of your images aliases nonstop them anywhere, and it doesn’t break the end-to-end encryption disposable pinch RCS. Apple’s Messages app added akin protection pinch Communication Safety starting successful iOS 17 aft tabling more arguable plans for expanded scanning and alerts. The delicate contented warnings will beryllium enabled by default for users nether 18. It will rotation retired successful the “coming months” to Android 9 and higher devices pinch much than 2GB of RAM.
An update headed retired to users of the beta version will person an upgraded scam discovery strategy that’s expected to beryllium amended astatine recognizing and sorting retired the kinds of fraudulent messages that often connection clone occupation opportunities aliases declare a transportation is connected clasp successful an effort to get your individual information.
Google Messages already moves suspected spam messages to the spam files aliases shows you a warning, and says it’s utilizing “on-device instrumentality learning models” to measure the message, meaning Google can’t spot your conversations unless you study something.
Screenshot: The Verge
To me, Google Messages already does an okay occupation of filtering retired spam, but I’ve recovered that suspicious texts tin sometimes autumn done the cracks. Enhanced protection against job-seeking and package-delivery scams is rolling retired now to Google Messages beta users pinch spam protection enabled — and I mightiness conscionable person to enroll successful the beta to effort it.
Additionally, Google Messages is moving connected the expertise to automatically hide messages from chartless world numbers, on pinch warnings that look erstwhile users person a connection pinch a perchance vulnerable link.
Next year, Google is besides readying to adhd a “contact verifying” characteristic for Android, which will let you to verify your contact’s personality utilizing a nationalist key, which should beryllium akin to the verification strategy Apple announced for iMessage a fewer years ago.