Google Messages app gets a discreet but powerful safety update

Last month, Google started preparing to launch a new feature called Sensitive Content Warnings for its Messages app, aimed at helping protect minors online. Instead of adding it directly to Messages, Google has quietly introduced a separate app, SafetyCore, to power the feature.

Sensitive Content Warnings will block or blur images that might contain nudity, adding a “speed bump” screen that gives users the choice to view or skip the content. It is designed to help parents guide their children’s online activity without blocking everything, though the focus is on minors who may not fully understand the risks of sharing or viewing certain images. With the feature rolling out to Android 9 and later, adults can opt-in if they choose, but it will be turned on automatically for users under 18.

Curiously, Google has not shown exactly how this will appear in the Messages app, likely because it is still working out the visual details. Messages is not running the feature on its own. Instead, Google’s new app SafetyCore—a “system service” that recently appeared on Google Play—will handle the functionality. Its description gives little away, simply stating that it “provides safety features for Android devices,” which is vague enough to suggest it may support more than just Sensitive Content Warnings.

So far, Google has kept quiet about the specifics, and there is no real documentation for other app developers who may want to implement similar protections. For now, Sensitive Content Warnings remain exclusive to Google Messages, despite being a feature that could benefit several other apps.

In addition to the new Sensitive Content Warnings, Google has been actively beefing up Google Messages with a range of features aimed at making the app more secure and user-friendly. One recent development is an upcoming tool to help users filter messages based on the sender’s origin, which is handy for identifying spam from unknown international sources. This feature will organize texts from unknown numbers by country, giving users more control over what reaches their inbox. Google has been gradually pushing similar tools to help users keep their conversations organized and secure.

Via: Android Authority