Overview
- Google began a global rollout this month of fake call detection in Phone by Google for devices running Android 12 or newer, with Pixel phones getting the feature first.
- The system works by having the caller’s phone send a silent, real‑time confirmation signal over end‑to‑end encrypted RCS to the recipient’s phone and showing an on‑screen warning if that signal is missing.
- Protection requires both caller and recipient to use Phone by Google, Google Messages and Contacts with RCS enabled, so many calls—including those from iPhones, other dialer apps, or unsupported carriers—will remain unprotected.
- The feature is turned on by default but can be disabled in app settings, and carriers are rolling their own network‑level protections such as Scam Guard, Brand ID and other call‑screening services to fill coverage gaps.
- Regulators and industry data show impersonation fraud and AI voice cloning have surged—FTC reports in 2025 cited 3 million fraud reports and $15.9 billion in losses—so wider adoption of RCS and cross‑provider verification will be needed for this tool to reduce harms at scale.