Your future Galaxy phone could get a big upgrade that protects your wallet, and spares you the embarrassment

It uses the Gemini Nano on-device AI model to monitor calls. If it detects anything suspicious in the conversation, it alerts you that the caller might be a scammer. The feature essentially looks for patterns in the call that are typically associated with scammers. For instance, if the caller asks you to pay via gift card for a product delivery, scam detection flags the call as a potential scam, and a “Likely scam” pop-up appears on the screen.

However, since the feature is powered by AI, there is a small chance that it could sometimes interpret even a general call as fraudulent. That is why the pop-up window gives you a “Not a scam” option, which you can select if you are sure that the caller isn’t trying to scam you.

It could come to future Galaxy phones

As is often the case with features developed by Google, it was initially exclusive to Pixel smartphones. However, Samsung recently partnered with Google to bring it to its Galaxy S26 phones.

The best part was that it was added to the Samsung Phone app. For reference, on Pixel phones, it is limited to the Google Phone app.

Now, code related to the scam detection feature and upcoming Galaxy smartphones has been reportedly spotted in the latest public beta of the Phone app. Specifically, it mentions the model numbers for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and a Wide Fold. This suggests that at least these Samsung phones could receive the Gemini-powered scam detection upgrade.

It’s also worth noting that multiple model numbers of these devices, which basically represent their regional variants, have been spotted in the Phone app code. This strongly suggests that the upcoming feature won’t be exclusive to a particular region and will likely see a global rollout.

The scam detection feature in the S26 family is currently limited to English speakers in the US. Since the upcoming foldables will have this feature working globally, I believe it could soon become available globally in the S26 series as well. On Pixel phones, it works in multiple countries, including India, the US, Germany, Canada, and many more.

It could really help save your hard-earned money

Scammers always come up with new methods to trick users into revealing their private details or even transferring money to them. And now, with the advancement of AI tools, it has become easier than ever for them to impersonate someone else and fool their targets.

Google reports that more than half of Americans received scam calls almost daily in 2024. The Global Anti-Scam Alliance reports that more than $1 trillion was stolen from users using AI-powered tools and sophisticated scam techniques. That’s why I see it as more crucial than ever to have a feature like Google’s scam detection installed on your smartphone.

It’ll save you from text scams as well

Google’s scam detection isn’t limited to calls, but it also provides protection against smishing attacks. However, it only works in Google Messages. Since the S26 line doesn’t come with Samsung Messages pre-installed, the tech giant doesn’t need to worry about bringing this capability to its native messaging app.