Prior to Google I/O, at the Android show on Tuesday, Google announced new security and privacy features for Android. These new features include new protection for calls, screen sharing, messaging, device access and system-level access. With these features, Google aims to prevent users from falling into scams, keep details safe in the event that devices are stolen or taken over by an attacker, and to enhance device-level security for various attacks.
Phone scammers often ask users to take actions such as tapping an unsafe link or downloading unknown apps. To protect users, Google has blocked several actions and warned of potential scams while users are calling people who are not on their contact list.
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For Android 16, these actions include sideloading the app for the first time from a web browser, messaging app, or other source that has not been verified by Google, and granting accessibility permissions to the app so that scammers can control the device. The company is also preventing users running Android 6 or later from disabling Google Play Protect.
Google adds screen sharing protection by reminding users to stop sharing screens after the call is finished.
The company is also testing new warning screens with some UK banks to prevent fraud from screen sharing. When a user on a device running Android 11 or later opens a Partner Bank app while sharing a screen while talking with an unknown number, the device will receive a new warning screen about possible scams with a button that quickly closes screen sharing.
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Message protection
After launching the feature in March, Google has made its protection against Google Messages fraud. This feature uses on-device AI to alert users of potential fraud based on conversations. The company is currently increasing user security by having tools to detect more types of fraud, including encryption, gift cards, toll roads, and other billing fees, financial impersonation, and technical support.
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Additionally, the company has added a confirmation key to the Google Contacts app. This helps the user to authenticate that the person on the other side is the intended receiver. Users can check their contacts by having them scan the QR code or matching number displayed on the screen.
A verified key means that your conversations with your contacts in Google Messages are end-to-end encrypted and protected. Google said that if an attacker begins controlling the phone number via a SIM swap attack and sends a message through a new device, the Google Contacts app will display the validation status as unverified. This feature will be available in Google Messages later this summer for users running Android 10 or later versions.
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Theft protection measures
Earlier this year, Google deployed Identity Check Protection on Pixel and Samsung devices with ONEUI 7. This feature requires users to use biometric authentication to change important settings such as changing the device's PIN and biometrics, disabling theft protection, or accessing the passkey if they are not in one of the trusted locations added by the user. The company is currently making this feature available to other Android 16 device manufacturers.
Later this year, Google will add better protection for a factory reset, restricting all kinds of features on devices that have been reset without allowing previous lock patterns/PINs or Google account credentials. This makes it difficult to use stolen devices.
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To prevent someone from locking your device remotely, the company is adding security challenge questions to prevent unauthorized access. With Android 16, the company hides one-time passwords if the device is not connected to Wi-Fi and has not been unlocked recently.
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Additional protection
The company is also adding new features to the Google Play Protect Live Detection program by detecting unsafe apps that have hidden or changed icons. This feature will be available to users running Android 6 or later versions in the coming months. The company said it is currently applying a new set of rules on its devices to catch more categories of malicious apps.
Google is adding new measures to enhance advanced protection modes to protect public figures with new on-device capabilities. The company is also making my hub debut on Find to track items, friends and family.
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