Google Messages Enhanced Protection leverages cloud Gemini to detect unknown sender scams

Google announced earlier this month that it would expand its anti-spam tools for Android users, and the company is now beginning the rollout of that new feature.

The update introduces Enhanced Protection, a tier that sits above the existing Standard Protection mode. While Standard Protection blocks spam and suspected harmful links on the device, the new mode relies on cloud-based Gemini models to evaluate the context of a message thread. Google states that this cloud approach identifies the intent of unknown senders more quickly than previous on-device detection, particularly when facing novel or sophisticated attacks.

Privacy mechanisms are central to this new layer. The system utilizes Android’s Private AI Compute, which encrypts messages and processes them in a secure space. According to Google, this space remains private to the user, meaning the data is not accessible to anyone else, including Google itself.

Enhanced Protection includes three distinct capabilities. The first is the cloud-based scam detection mentioned above. The second is enhanced link protection, which pairs the on-device Gemini Nano model with real-time web signals to vet unfamiliar links. This specific link-checking feature is currently available on the Pixel 10 and newer models, the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and other select devices.

The third change redesigns warning alerts for links sent by unsaved numbers, providing users with more time and context before they tap a link. The feature is opt-in, and users can access it through the Protection and safety menu in Google Messages settings.

The menu now lists three options: Enhanced protection, Standard protection, and No protection. The app labels the no-protection option as not recommended. The feature has appeared in the latest Google Messages beta, version 20261020_00_RC00.