Scams have become increasingly sophisticated. Many times, these messages are nearly identical to legitimate communications. Determining if a suspicious message or online alert is fraudulent is a growing challenge for consumers. To combat this issue, Google is expanding the functionality of one of its most popular Android features, Circle to Search , turning it into a “scam detector” for your text messages. The improvement is part of the just announced Android 16 QPR2 update .

Google designed Circle to Search to let users quickly search for items by circling them on the screen. Detecting potential scams in texts is an ingenious implementation of this philosophy. This upgrade integrates the core AI capabilities of Google Search directly into your messaging interface. This offers an immediate layer of defense against phishing and fraud attempts.

If you receive a text, email, or social media message that raises red flags, the process to verify its legitimacy is straightforward. Users simply trigger Circle to Search and draw a loop around the suspicious text block or message content.

The action triggers a search that immediately consults information from across the web. You’ll get the results in an AI Overview at the top of the screen. This summary will use available online data—such as reports of similar scams, known fraudulent tactics, or warnings from official sources—to determine the likelihood that the message is malicious.

Additionally, if the AI Overview identifies the message as a likely scam, it will not just issue a warning. It also provides immediate guidance, suggesting the best next steps for the user. This might include advice on blocking the number, reporting the incident, or verifying the request through official channels (like directly logging into a bank’s website instead of clicking a link in the message).

This new capability gives Android users a new layer of security against phishing. While no single feature should be the sole source of trust—since all AI systems can be fallible—the integration of a real-time scam detection and guidance tool directly into the phone’s interface is undoubtedly an improvement to your everyday digital security.