- The “Enhanced protection mode,” renamed to “Enhanced protection,” in the “Google Messages” app has started rolling out from mid to late October 2026.
- It is located under “Protection & safety” within “General settings.”
- The previous ON / OFF spam protection setting has been replaced with a 3-tier selection: “Enhanced protection,” “Standard protection,” and “No protection (not recommended).”
In mid-October 2026, Google announced new settings, including “Enhanced protection mode,” to be added to “Google Messages,” the SMS / MMS / RCS client app for Android devices.
Following this, the “Enhanced protection mode,” now renamed to “Enhanced protection,” has begun rolling out from mid to late October 2026. In the “Google Messages” app, “Enhanced protection” can be found under “Protection & safety” within “General settings.”
Specifically, while previous versions only offered an ON / OFF toggle for spam protection, the rollout of “Enhanced protection” introduces a new 3-tier selection system: “Enhanced protection,” “Standard protection,” and “No protection (not recommended).”
jetstream.blog
The newly rolled-out “Enhanced protection” feature in the “Google Messages” app is a security enhancement setting designed for interactions with numbers not saved in your contacts. It uses high-performance cloud-based “Gemini” models to analyze the context of messages, enabling earlier detection of scam intents. This complements the fraud detection capabilities of the existing “Spam protection” (now “Standard protection”) and helps catch newer or more sophisticated tactics.
Furthermore, cloud analysis for “Enhanced protection” is performed on Google’s privacy-focused platform, “Private AI Compute.” It leverages high-performance AI models in the cloud while encrypting data and processing it within an isolated, dedicated environment. This ensures that no one—including Google—except the user can access the data.
The “Enhanced protection” feature in the “Google Messages” app is rolling out to Google Pixel devices starting from the Pixel 6 and newer, as well as Android devices compatible with the “Android AICore” app.
“Google Messages” App Link
