Google Adds Verified SMS And Spam Protection For Messages On Android

Google on Thursday announced the rollout of two new features in the Messages app for Android users.

The first feature is called “Verified SMS”. This will help the user confirm the true identity of the business that’s texting them.

The feature works by verifying, on a per-message basis, that content is sent by a specific business. If the message is verified, Google will display the business name and logo as well as a verification badge in the message thread.

Some of the first brands like 1-800-Flowers, Banco Bradesco, Kayak, Payback, and SoFi sent messages with Verified SMS starting yesterday. Google Pay India and verification codes from Google will also be enrolled in Verified SMS.

This new Verified SMS for Messages feature has been rolled in nine countries, starting in the U.S., India, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Philippines, Spain, and Canada with more countries to follow.

Another feature is “Real-time spam detection” that will protect you from spam in Messages.

With Spam protection for Messages, Google warns you of suspected spam and unsafe websites that have been detected by it.

You can help improve Google’s spam models by marking specific messages as spam. You can also report spam text messages at any time and block the sender from sending any more future texts.

Although this feature has already been available for the past year in some countries, it is now rolling out widely in the U.S.