Google is rolling out new Android features before Android 17 launches later this year. The biggest update is improved scam call protection that can detect callers pretending to be saved contacts. Android has offered scam call alerts since 2024, but the new system adds caller verification through the Phone by Google app. When both users have the app, their devices exchange a silent verification signal. If verification fails, Android displays a warning and gives users the option to end the call immediately.
“When a contact calls you, and you’re both using Phone by Google, their device sends a silent confirmation signal in real time to your device to verify the call is legitimate and truly coming from the contact’s device,” Google wrote in a blog post detailing the feature. “Because this digital handshake uses end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology, it is completely private.”
Fake call detection will be available on devices running Android 12 and higher that use the Phone by Google app.
Google is also extending access to its Personal Safety app to children under 13, enabling them to show medical details and emergency contacts on the lock screen while providing faster access to safety tools such as car crash detection.
Beyond its safety-focused updates, Google is introducing new AI features to both Google Photos and Google Play Books. Google Photos is gaining a “wardrobe” tool that analyzes a user’s photo library to identify clothing items they have worn and enables virtual outfit previews. The feature is launching on select Android 10 and newer devices in the United States, India, and Brazil. Meanwhile, Google Play Books is adding AI-powered tools that provide context for highlighted passages and generate summaries of a reader’s current progress. The new Play Books features are initially available for select English-language titles.
Several existing Google features are also receiving updates. Circle to Search now supports searching for multiple objects in a single image, building on a feature first shown on Samsung phones in February. Quick Share is expanding its compatibility with Apple’s AirDrop across more Android devices, and Gboard’s Emoji Kitchen is adding additional emoji combination options.
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