Scam calls usually come with a side of shady requests like tapping dodgy links or downloading random apps. To combat these tactics, Google introduced smart call protections earlier this year that can throw up red flags mid-call if something seems off, especially when talking to unknown numbers. The catch is you still have to dig into settings and turn them on yourself. That extra step means a lot of people probably don’t even know these features exist, let alone use them.
To address that, Google might soon walk you through Scam Detection and Call Screening right when you’re setting up your Pixel, making it way easier for users to stay protected from day one.
At present, Scam Detection (which listens in real time for shady behavior) and Call Screen (which helps sniff out suspicious callers before you even pick up) aren’t turned on by default. This means you need to dig through settings to switch them on. As a result, a lot of users miss out on protection they didn’t even know they had.
But according to a fresh scoop from Android Authority, that might be about to change. Google is reportedly getting ready to bake both features right into the Pixel setup flow. If true, that means you’ll be introduced to these tools while setting up your phone, giving you stronger call security from the jump.
These clues have been spotted in the v181.0 beta of the Google Phone app. Buried in the code are signs that Scam Detection, Call Screen, and Spam Protection might soon show up as options you can enable (or keep turned off) right from the get-go.
No more digging through menus
Pixel’s got your back from the start
By making Scam Detection and Call Screen part of the onboarding flow, the goal is to get more people using them from day one and instantly boost protection against scammy calls and unwanted interruptions.
Google taps into the brains of its on-device Gemini Nano AI to sniff out scams mid-call on Pixel phones. It listens to the conversation in real time, and if something shady comes up, you’ll get an instant alert, giving you a chance to hang up before things go sideways.
Scam Detection on Pixel works a bit differently depending on your device. On the Pixel 9 series, it’s powered by the more advanced Gemini Nano AI for real-time protection. Older Pixel models still get the feature, but it runs on Google’s earlier on-device machine learning tech. Likewise, Call Screen and Spam Protection are staying Pixel-only, so even though these features might soon show up during setup, don’t expect to see them on every Android phone.
