Google is introducing a new Android security feature that will detect and flag phone calls in which scammers use artificial intelligence to impersonate a user's personal contacts.
Called "fake call detection," the feature is rolling out globally this month to Android 12 and later devices, starting with Pixel devices, and will be enabled by default.
Once activated, it works automatically when both a caller and recipient are using Phone by Google: when a contact places a call, their device sends a silent, encrypted confirmation signal to the recipient's device in real time.
If that signal is not sent (indicating the call may be spoofed), the recipient's device will instead ping the contact's actual phone to verify the call's authenticity. If the contact's device confirms it is not placing a call, the recipient receives an on-screen warning to hang up immediately.
"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," Google said.
