Android Can Now Tell If Someone Is Pretending to Be Your Friend on a Call

Google is rolling out a new security feature for Android designed to protect users from one of the fastest-growing forms of digital fraud: AI-powered impersonation scams. Called Fake Call Detection, the feature can verify whether a call is genuinely coming from a contact's device or if someone is attempting to spoof a trusted phone number. If Android suspects the caller may be impersonating someone you know, it will display a warning during the call.

The rollout comes as scammers increasingly use AI voice-cloning tools and caller ID spoofing techniques to impersonate family members, friends, employers, and financial institutions.

How the Feature Works

Fake Call Detection works through the Phone by Google app. When a contact places a call, their Android device sends a silent verification signal to the recipient's phone. This creates a digital handshake that confirms the call is actually originating from the contact's device and not from a spoofed number.

If the verification fails, Android will display a warning indicating that the caller may not be who they appear to be. Users can then choose to end the call immediately.

The system is designed specifically to counter a growing tactic where scammers clone a trusted person's voice and combine it with a spoofed phone number to make fraudulent requests appear legitimate.

Built on RCS Technology

Google says the feature uses end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology to verify calls securely. Both the caller and recipient must be using the Phone by Google app, Google Contacts, and Google Messages with RCS enabled for the feature to work.

The company has also built the system using open standards, allowing other apps and manufacturers to potentially adopt the same verification mechanism in the future.

Available on Android 12 and Newer Devices

The feature is rolling out globally this month to devices running Android 12 and newer. Pixel smartphones will receive it first, followed by other compatible Android devices.

Google says the launch builds on its existing scam protection efforts, including Verified Financial Calls, which alerts users when fraudsters attempt to impersonate banks and other financial institutions.