Google has just held its yearly I/O showcase and there’s a vital upgrade coming to Android phones.
Google has just revealed its next batch of updates for Android and there’s one feature that certainly stands out from the crowd. The US technology giant has confirmed that it’s bringing alerts to users if they receive a spam phone call. Think of it a little like those bright red warnings you get when checking your email inbox.
When a crook manages to get hold of your personal number and rings you up, Google’s clever Gemini AI will soon be able to monitor the chat and provide real-time warnings if it thinks you are about to be scammed.
For example, with this function enabled, you would receive an alert if a “bank representative” calls you up and asks you to urgently transfer funds, make a payment with a card or starts requesting personal information like card PINs or passwords.
These are very uncommon requests from real banks and that will start the AI alarm bells ringing. Once a scam may have been spotted a warning pops up on the screen telling why you need to be alert and if you want to end the call. One touch then hangs up.
If you are concerned that the tech giant is listening into your calls, Google says that all of the monitoring takes place on the device only so your conversation stays private to you.
This service, called Gemini Nano, is currently being tested and could be rolled out to those happy to opt-in later this year.
Scams, including calls, remain a massive issue for consumers. A recent report suggested billions of pounds are lost every year to online crooks so this new update could help filter out more attacks.
Other clever features coming to Android soon include improvements to Circle to Search which will offer help to students such as solving equations and more.
You’ll also be able to ask Google’s Gemini to create an image via voice and add it straight to emails and text messages. The firm showed how this works by asking the AI bot to make a picture of a tennis racket with pickles – see the results below.
Google also says that it will continue to improve Gemini to give users more dynamic suggestions related to what’s on their screen.
We’ll bring you more news from Google I/O as it happens.
