Google Messages is trying to tackle today’s most annoying messaging spam

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 diagnostic is optional, and if enabled, it volition amusement users a “speed bump” with “help-finding resources and options” earlier they tin presumption an representation with nudity detected via on-device scanning. If users effort to stock an representation with nudity, the app volition pass them astir the risks.

With each of the scanning done on-device, Google says it doesn’t spot the contents of your images oregon nonstop them anywhere, and it doesn’t interruption the end-to-end encryption disposable with RCS. Apple’s Messages app added akin extortion with Communication Safety starting successful iOS 17 aft tabling more arguable plans for expanded scanning and alerts. The delicate contented warnings volition beryllium enabled by default for users nether 18. It volition rotation retired successful the “coming months” to Android 9 and higher devices with much than 2GB of RAM.

An update headed retired to users of the beta version volition person an upgraded scam detection strategy that’s expected to beryllium amended astatine recognizing and sorting retired the kinds of fraudulent messages that often connection fake occupation opportunities oregon assertion a transportation is connected clasp successful an effort to get your idiosyncratic information.

Google Messages already moves suspected spam messages to the spam folder oregon 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.

To me, Google Messages already does an good occupation of filtering retired spam, but I’ve recovered that suspicious texts tin sometimes autumn done the cracks. Enhanced extortion against job-seeking and package-delivery scams is rolling retired present to Google Messages beta users with spam extortion enabled — and I mightiness conscionable person to enroll successful the beta to effort it.

Additionally, Google Messages is moving connected the quality to automatically fell messages from chartless planetary numbers, on with warnings that look erstwhile users person a connection with a perchance unsafe link.

Next year, Google is besides readying to adhd a “contact verifying” diagnostic for Android, which volition let you to verify your contact’s individuality utilizing a nationalist key, which should beryllium akin to the verification strategy Apple announced for iMessage a fewer years ago.