Google has been working hard to make Android a more secure OS for everyone, attacking everything from vulnerabilities to phishing campaigns. Google Messages integrates multiple layers of security to prevent you from being a potential victim of SMS scams. Now, it seems that the company will add an additional shield to Google Messages in the form of a spam folder dedicated to international messages.
Users can receive unwanted international messages for a variety of reasons. Whether you’ve signed up for a specific service, or worse, a database hack has exposed your number. Many times, they are just commercial spam rather than phishing attacks, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying.
Google Messages’ new “cross-country” folder would capture all international spam
As spotted by code researcher Assemble Debug of Android Authority, Google would be working on solving this problem. The Mountain View giant would implement a new folder in Google Messages that would proactively “capture” international spam. According to the report, the system will check if the SMS comes from an unknown source as one of the main factors to determine if it is spam. So, you shouldn’t worry about missing messages from your friends or family in other countries.
The source spotted the folder in the latest Google Messages beta build (messages.android_20240923_01_RC00.phone_samsung_openbeta_dynamic). The name of the APK file suggests that it’s a version running on Samsung Galaxy devices. The new folder, named “cross-country” in the strings, will prevent spam SMS from reaching your main Messages view.
Apparently, you’ll still get a notification when a message reaches the cross-country spam folder. However, you have the option to opt out of receiving any alerts about it. “Conversation is in the blocked/spam/cross-country folder, skipping notification creation,” reads a string.
A new security shield against phishing and spam
Google Messages already had built-in layers of spam protection, including a normal spam folder. However, the new folder in development will be especially focused on catching international phishing or spam. This way, you can keep your main Google Messages view clean of unwanted messages while avoiding potential scams. Lastly, there is still no date for the rollout of the cross-country folder, but let’s hope Google doesn’t take long.