Google’s Pixel phones often get new Android features first, but one of them — scam detection — could be coming to Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup soon. The feature is an interesting one, claiming to protect users from suspicious behaviour from various quarters. Whether it does… that’s something we’ll have to see for ourselves.
The still-Pixel-exclusive feature uses Google’s AI, because what else is the company going to do with it? Scam detection ensures “get notified about potential scam calls as they happen”, but Google also says that it “is not 100% accurate and scammers constantly change their tactics. Always use caution when you answer calls from unknown numbers.”
Scam the man
Still, it would be a handy feature to have on any handset. It’s just that Samsung, apparently, is first in line. Some folks have found references inside the Phone by Google app, where the detection takes place, that could refer to Samsung’s upcoming headline smartphones.
The Samsung models, which cover the Galaxy S26, Plus, and Ultra, are referenced alongside Google’s own Pixel handsets that support the feature. That’s not definitive, of course, but it is very suggestive.
The references also suggest there might be changes coming to Samsung’s software ecosystem. Google’s Phone app isn’t installed on Samsung devices by default. The South Korean company uses its own Samsung Phone app instead. Either there would have to be a campaign to convince users to switch, possibly with both apps installed and one selected during setup, or Samsung might have a broader deal with Google in the works that will see the American company offering more of its software in exchange for… something.
Or it could be nothing. A reference in a Google app doesn’t prove a change to Samsung’s software. But scam detection on phones that can be bought in South Africa would be handy.
