Google Messages is rolling out several new features aimed at improving user privacy and protecting them from suspicious calls and messages. One of the additions is protection against scam texts related to package deliveries and jobs, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) models. There are also features related to handling international callers and contact verifications. The messaging platform says it will expand intelligent warnings about potentially dangerous links to the global market later this year.
New Features in Google Messages
In a blog post, Google detailed the new features coming to its Messages app as part of the cybersecurity awareness month.
1. Enhanced Spam Protection: Beta users of the Messages app who have spam protection enabled will get access to a new feature that can alert them and automatically move potentially scam text messages about package deliveries or jobs to the spam folder. This feature is said to leverage on-device machine learning (ML) to identify and classify the conversations. Google claims that text messages will remain private unless specifically reported as spam.
2. Potentially Dangerous Links: The Mountain View-based tech giant is currently running a pilot in India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore which alerts users about potentially dangerous links received from unknown senders in messages and blocks them. This functionality will be expanded to the global market later this year.
3. Sensitive Content Warnings: Google has introduced Sensitive Content Warnings as an optional feature for its Messages app. It blurs explicit content and provides options to users, including the ability to view the media. When forwarding the content to others, it brings up a warning, reminding users of the risks associated with sending explicit media. The company claims the entire process happens on-device, maintaining end-to-end encryption and user privacy. Sensitive Content Warning in Google Messages is opt-in for adults over the age of 18, while it is opt-out for users aged below.
4. Protection Against International Senders: Google Messages will soon automatically hide the text messages received from unrecognised international senders. Messages will be moved to the Spam & blocked folders. This feature will be rolled out as a pilot project in Singapore later this year and will gradually be expanded to more regions.
5. Contact Verification: Another feature rolling out on the messaging platform is contact verification. It will let users verify contacts’ public keys to confirm their identity before messaging them. For this, Google is developing a unified public key verification system which leverages QR code or number comparison. This feature will be rolled out for devices running Android 9 or later, next year.