Scam messages aren’t always as obvious as a suspicious link or a text claiming you’ve won a lottery you never entered. Some scammers are clever enough to start perfectly normal conversations, gradually earn your trust, and only reveal what they’re after when it’s too late.
Google wants to make those tricks harder to pull off. Earlier this month, the company announced a new Enhanced Protection mode for Google Messages, and it’s now starting to roll out to Android users. The optional setting adds more powerful AI-based scam detection, smarter checks for suspicious links, and extra warnings designed to keep you from making a costly mistake.
Gemini is learning to spot scams before you do
Google Messages already has built-in spam and scam detection, but its latest upgrade takes things further. Instead of looking for familiar warning signs, Enhanced Protection uses Google’s cloud-based Gemini models to better understand conversations with people who aren’t in your contacts. Think of someone pretending to be a delivery agent or a bank representative. Their first few messages might seem completely harmless, but the conversation could eventually turn into a request for money or personal information. Google’s upgraded detection aims to recognize these patterns earlier, even when the scam doesn’t follow an obvious script.
Of course, having AI analyze your private conversations raises some understandable privacy concerns. Google says the feature relies on its Private AI Compute technology, which encrypts message data and processes it in an isolated environment that even Google cannot access. Another layer of protection targets suspicious websites. On supported devices, the on-device Gemini Nano model works alongside live web information to assess unfamiliar links, potentially catching dangerous websites that haven’t yet made it onto existing blocklists. Google is also introducing clearer warnings when someone outside your contacts sends you a link, giving you another opportunity to reconsider before opening it.
How to turn on Enhanced Protection in Google Messages
The good news is that you won’t need to dig through Android’s system settings to find it. Open the Google Messages app, tap your profile picture, go to Messages settings, then Protection & safety. Now, tap Spam & scam protection. You’ll find three choices: Enhanced Protection, Standard Protection, and No Protection. Standard Protection remains the default, so you’ll need to select Enhanced Protection yourself to get the stronger safeguards.
According to 9to5Google, the feature has started appearing in Google Messages beta version 20261020_00_RC00, although availability is still limited. There’s another catch worth knowing. The smarter link-checking feature currently supports the Pixel 10 series and newer, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 lineup, Galaxy Z Flip 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and certain other devices. So, if the setting isn’t showing up on your phone just yet, there’s no need to panic. Google is rolling it out gradually, and it might take some time before everyone gets access.
