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ZDNET Highlights
- Spam messages can be difficult to distinguish from genuine messages.
- Android has a scam-fighting AI trick.
- Circle to Search is available on Pixel and Galaxy phones.
I don’t know about you, but I get more spam and scam messages on my phone every day than legitimate messages from friends and family.
It’s out of control.
When I receive these messages, I always report them and block the sender. But sometimes, messages are so carefully crafted that it’s not always easy to identify whether a message is a scam or not. I will dig through the messages and try to find clues.
Also: How to Turn on Private DNS Mode on Android – and Why It’s Important for Security
Don’t get me wrong: most of these messages are clearly spam/scams. My general rule of thumb is that if I don’t recognize the number, it’s probably a scam, so I report it. But sometimes, the validity of a message escapes me.
How much does it really matter? Well, if you respond to the wrong message, you could be in for a world of trouble. You don’t want that.
So, what do you do when you encounter a message you’re not sure about? You turn to Android.
Let me show you what I mean.
What is Circle to Search?
You might think that Android’s Circle to Search feature is nothing more than a way to find the perfect pair of shoes you see in an image. Of course, you can do that, and it’s a really useful feature.
But Circle to Search has another very important feature: it can help you determine whether an SMS or DM is a scam or not. Circle to Search uses AI to read a message and understand its meaning. If the on-board AI believes a message is a scam, it will alert you to that fact.
Also: How to use the circle to search on Android (and which models support it now)
When in doubt why not?
Here’s how it’s done.
How to enable Circle for Search
what you’ll need: Circle to Search is available on Android version 13 or later and requires a supported device (Google Pixel 6 or newer and/or Samsung Galaxy S21 or newer). If you have a device that falls into one of those categories, read on.
You may have to enable it before you can use the feature (I did). To do this, open the Settings app by pulling down the notification shade twice and tapping the gear icon at the bottom right corner.
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Within Settings, go to Display and touch > Navigation mode. At the bottom of this page, you’ll see a search circle and an on/off slider. Tap the On/Off slider until it moves to the On position.
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You must enable the feature before it is available for use.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Using Circle to search to avoid scams
Let’s say you just received a text message and you’re not sure if it’s a scam. With the messaging app open, long-press the navigation bar at the bottom of the window (or the Home button, if you’re using three-button navigation).
Also: This silent Android feature scans your photos for ‘sensitive content’ – how to disable it
After long pressing the area, draw a circle around the message and wait for the onboard AI to notify you if the message is suspicious.
If the message is suspicious, go ahead and immediately block and report it. If it turns out the message is not listed as scam or spam, I would still proceed with caution. Remember, this is AI, so it can make mistakes. If Circle Two Search reports the message as safe and you still have doubts, you can do some research to verify the findings.
Too: Your Android phone just got a powerful anti-theft upgrade. what’s new here
I would say from my experience that Circle Two Search has been the leader in detecting whether a message is a scam or not; So much so that using this feature has become my default action for incoming messages that are not from a contact.
I highly recommend enabling this feature and using it. When Circle Two Search tags a message as a scam, report it and have it removed.
