How do I turn on Android’s new Enhanced Protection in Google Messages, and what does it actually check?

Google’s opt-in Enhanced Protection uses Gemini — in the cloud through Private AI Compute, and on-device Nano link checks on newer phones — to judge scam intent in chats with unknown senders.

Short answer: Open Google Messages, go to Settings, and turn on Enhanced Protection when it appears on your phone. It is an opt-in set of AI scam checks Google announced on October 14, rolling out gradually over the coming weeks, so it may not show up for everyone at once. Here is what it actually checks.

For chats with people you do not know, supported phones can use Google’s cloud Gemini models through Private AI Compute — a protected setup designed to judge scam intent in a message without a person reading your chats. On select newer phones, Gemini Nano runs on the device itself to check links before you tap them. The package also strengthens warnings on suspicious links, adds screen-share privacy protections in Chrome and WebView on Android 15 and later, and warns you before a call-forwarding code takes effect — a trick scammers use to quietly reroute your calls and codes to themselves.

None of this replaces judgment, but it puts a second set of eyes on exactly the messages most likely to be traps.1. Update Google Messages. Install the latest version from the Play Store, then open the app.2.

Open Settings. Tap your profile picture and look for Enhanced Protection or Scam Detection in the settings list.3. Turn Enhanced Protection on.

Leave the separate Spam protection setting on too — the two cover different things and work best together.4. Take link warnings seriously. A warning about an unknown sender’s link is the feature doing its job, not a glitch to tap through.5.

If the setting is not there yet, wait — do not substitute. The rollout is gradual and the exact features vary by device and region. Never install a look-alike “security” app that promises the same thing.Pro tip: never dial a call-forwarding code that someone on a call reads out to you, no matter who they claim to be.

Hang up and call your carrier’s real number instead — once forwarding is switched on, your calls and verification codes can be sent straight to the scammer’s phone.