Google launches fake call detection in its Phone app

Google has launched a new security feature for its Phone app designed to protect users from the rapidly growing threat of AI-powered impersonation scams.

The tool, called Fake Call Detection, is arriving as part of Google’s June Android feature rollout and aims to combat fraudsters who use generative AI to mimic the voices of loved ones or authority figures.

The feature addresses a highly sophisticated form of fraud known as call spoofing. In these attacks, criminals route calls through internet-based software to mimic a phone number already saved in a victim’s contacts.

They then use easily accessible AI voice-cloning tools to replicate the precise voice and intonation of a family member, employer, or official, often demanding money for a fake emergency. According to Google, FBI data reveals that Americans lost over $893 million to scams using AI in 2025 alone.

To counter this, Google’s new system relies on device verification rather than trying to analyse the audio itself. The system acts as a secure “digital handshake” between smartphones. When a legitimate call is placed, the caller’s device silently transmits an end-to-end encrypted confirmation signal using Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology to prove the call is authentic.

If a scammer attempts to spoof a contact’s number, that initial validation signal will be missing. Recognising the absence of the handshake, the recipient’s phone will instantly check with the contact’s actual device.

If the real phone confirms it is not currently making a call, the Phone app will flag the incoming communication as suspicious, displaying an on-screen warning stating: “Someone may be pretending to call from your contact’s number,” alongside a prominent option to end the call.

The feature is enabled by default for users running Android 12 and later, though it can be manually deactivated within the app settings. However, Google notes that the protection only functions if both the caller and the recipient are using the Phone by Google app.

The security update is rolling out globally this month, debuting first on Google’s own line of Pixel devices before expanding to other Android smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 lineup.

For Android users whose phones use a different native dialer, Google recommends downloading the official Phone by Google app from the Google Play Store and setting it as the device’s default caller to activate the real-time protection.

https://blog.google/security/android-fake-call-detection/