Google is rolling out a new Android security feature designed to help users spot scam calls that use spoofed numbers and AI-generated voices. The company says the tool, called fake call detection, can warn users when a caller may not actually be the person they claim to be.
The feature arrives as phone-based fraud increasingly relies on deepfake-style voice cloning. In one common scenario, a scammer calls while pretending to be a family member, friend, or other trusted contact, then uses AI tools to sound convincing enough to pressure the target into sending money or sharing sensitive information.
Google says fake call detection is meant to add another layer of protection beyond caller ID, which is less reliable when scammers can disguise the number they are calling from. The company describes the system as an industry-first safeguard for Android phones.
Fake call detection is built into the Phone by Google app and is turned on by default. It works only when both the caller and recipient are using Google’s phone app, and it depends on RCS, the messaging standard that supports encrypted communication between devices.
According to Google, the feature works by creating a quiet verification exchange between devices. When a contact calls, the recipient’s phone checks for a confirmation signal from the caller’s device. If that signal is missing, the phone can then reach out to the contact’s real device to confirm whether a call is actually happening.
If the contact’s device indicates that it is not making a call, the recipient sees a warning and is prompted to hang up. Google says the process happens privately and uses end-to-end encrypted RCS technology.
Users who do not want the protection can turn it off in the Phone by Google settings.
Google says it is beginning a global rollout this month for Android 12 and newer devices, starting with Pixel phones. The company also noted that Phone by Google is already the default phone app on many Android devices.
For devices that use a different dialer app, Google says users can install Phone by Google from the Play Store and set it as the default phone app to get access to the feature.
The company said it built the system on an open RCS standard so other app makers and device manufacturers can adopt the technology as well.
Fake call detection is the latest in a series of anti-fraud tools Google has added across its products. The company pointed to AI-powered scam detection in Google Messages, scam call alerts in the Phone by Google app for Pixel and Samsung users, verified financial calls, verified business messaging in RCS for Business, BIMI protections in Gmail, and network-level caller authentication using STIR/SHAKEN in some countries.
Google framed the new feature as a response to a broader surge in impersonation fraud. The company cited recent estimates from INTERPOL and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission showing large global losses tied to fraud and scams, including impersonation schemes.
The rollout reflects how mobile security tools are evolving as scammers adopt more sophisticated techniques. With voice cloning and caller spoofing becoming easier to deploy, Google is betting that device-level verification can help Android users spot fraud before they respond to a fake emergency or a false request for money.