Android Is Fighting Phone Scams With a New Feature to Prove Who's Calling
Key takeaways
- “I'm so excited to be interviewing you today about this new fake call detection feature!" I heard myself saying while a headshot I've used publicly for years popped up on the demo device.
- As my disembodied voice calmly made the ask, a pop up appeared as an overlay on the regular call screen: “This may not be Lily.
- For Android phones calling each other, the new feature does a digital validity check and flags with a pop-up warning if a call isn't coming from your contact’s smartphone and may be a scam.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Person using smartphone in dark room with red light Photograph: Yuliya Taba/Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story I've been covering spam calling for years, so when Google offered me details about a new Android feature built to detect and flag spoofed calls, I was ready to hear more. What I didn't expect from the demo was to hear my own voice.
“I'm so excited to be interviewing you today about this new fake call detection feature!" I heard myself saying while a headshot I've used publicly for years popped up on the demo device. The caller ID name said “Lily.” “Unfortunately, I lost my wallet and I'm stuck. Any chance you can Venmo me so I can take an Uber to the interview?”
As my disembodied voice calmly made the ask, a pop up appeared as an overlay on the regular call screen: “This may not be Lily. Someone may be pretending to call from your contact's number.”