Google rolls out AI-powered fake call detection feature on Android: Here’s how it works

Google has introduced a new fake call detection feature on Android, which is designed to protect users from the growing threat of AI-powered deepfake impersonation scams. The rollout comes as fraudsters increasingly use generative AI to mimic voices and trick people into believing they are speaking with trusted contacts. “To help protect you from the growing threat of impersonation scams, Android is introducing fake call detection, an industry-first protection that can detect and flag suspected spoofed calls when your contact and you are both using Phone by Google. This builds on our recent launch of verified financial calls, which warns you if a scammer is attempting to impersonate your financial institution,” said Google in a blog post.Deepfake technology has made it possible for scammers to convincingly impersonate family members, colleagues, or even officials over the phone. These scams often pressure victims into sharing sensitive information or transferring money. Google says the rise of AI agents and voice cloning tools has made such attacks more frequent and harder to detect.This feature is on by default and works automatically behind the scenes. 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. Because this digital handshake uses end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology, it is completely private.If a scammer tries to impersonate your contact, that initial confirmation signal will be missing. Your device will instantly notice this and ping your contact's actual device to double-check. If their real device says, "I'm not making a call right now," you'll get a warning on your screen advising you to hang up immediately. This proactive alert helps you avoid falling victim to deepfake impersonation and call spoofing in real time. You can disable this feature at any time in the Phone by Google app settings.“We are rolling out fake call detection globally in Phone by Google to Android 12+ devices this month starting with Pixel devices. Phone by Google is already the default phone app for the majority of Android devices. If your device uses a different app, you can install Phone by Google from the Play Store and set it as your default phone app to help protect yourself from fake calls,” added Google.