Google adds Pixel verification to block AI voice scams

Google is adding a caller verification feature to Pixel phones through the Phone by Google app. The feature pings a caller’s handset in real time to confirm the device placing the call and shows an on-screen warning if the handshake fails.

The update is available on Pixel devices running Android 12 or later. When a known contact calls, the app performs a secure background exchange with the caller’s device; if the other phone does not complete the exchange, the Phone app flags the call as potentially spoofed or cloned.

Google built the system on the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard so carriers and other Android manufacturers can implement the same verification. The company has not provided a timeline for extending the feature to non-Pixel phones; wider rollout depends on carrier and original equipment manufacturer support for RCS-based verification.

Network-level frameworks such as STIR/SHAKEN authenticate caller ID at the carrier level. Handset-level verification complements those frameworks by checking the originating device on the recipient’s phone before the user answers.

Scammers have used AI to clone voices and spoof numbers. The FBI reported U.S. losses of $893 million to AI-linked schemes, and Interpol estimates global identity fraud exceeds $400 billion, figures Google referenced when describing the feature.

The verification works best when both caller and recipient participate in the protocol. If major carriers and Android manufacturers implement RCS-based verification, the feature could reach many Android 12 and newer devices without extra user setup.

Pixel users receive the feature with the latest Phone by Google update. Google confirmed plans to promote the RCS approach to carriers and device makers.