The Google Messages app is getting a discreet but powerful security update

Last month, Google began preparing to launch a new feature called Sensitive Content Warnings for its Messages app, aimed at helping protect minors online. Instead of adding it directly to Messages, Google quietly introduced a separate app, SafetyCore, to enable the feature.

Sensitive content warnings block or blur images that may contain nudity, adding a speed bump screen that gives users the choice to view or skip the content. It is designed to help parents guide their children’s online activities without blocking everything, although the focus is on minors who may not fully understand the risks of sharing or viewing certain images. With the feature rolling out to Android 9 and above, adults can opt in if they wish, but it will be automatically enabled for users under 18.

Strangely, Google hasn’t shown exactly how this will appear in the Messages app, likely because Google is still working out the visual details. Messages does not perform the function independently. Instead, Google’s new SafetyCore app, a “system service” that recently appeared on Google Play, will handle the functionality. The description gives little away, simply stating that it “provides safety features for Android devices”, which is vague enough to suggest that it may support more than just alerts for sensitive content.

So far, Google has kept mum on the details, and there’s no real documentation for other app developers looking to implement similar protections. For now, Sensitive Content Alerts will remain exclusive to Google Messages, despite being a feature that several other apps can take advantage of.

In addition to the new sensitive content warnings, Google has been actively expanding Google Messages with a range of features aimed at making the app more secure and easy to use. A recent development is an upcoming tool to assist users filter messages based on the origin of the senderwhich is useful for identifying spam from unknown international sources. This feature organizes text messages from unknown numbers by country, giving users more control over what reaches their inbox. Google has gradually introduced similar tools to help users keep their conversations organized and secure.

Via: Android Authority