If you wanted to benefit from Google’s on-device, Gemini AI-powered, scam detection feature, well, you needed to have a Google Pixel smartphone. I’m using the past tense because it has now been confirmed that Samsung Galaxy S26 smartphones are getting the previously Google-exclusive security feature. Here’s what you need to know.
From Google Pixel To Samsung Galaxy, Scam Protection Jumps Onto The S26
When Google announced the introduction of an AI-powered scam detection security feature for Android users back in March, 2025, it was something of a big deal. After all, anything that can help to fight the surge in phishing attacks that employ scam tactics has to be a good thing from a security perspective. That big deal has now, finally, arrived on your Samsung Galaxy. Well, if that’s the new Galaxy S26, I should say. As per Android Authority, the feature, which was previously restricted to Pixel phones with the Google Phone app, will now be available for the Galaxy S26 series, starting with English speakers in the U.S. only.
The even better news, for Samsung lovers, is that you won’t need the Google phone app as Scam detection will work alongside the Samsung phone app. As I previously reported, privacy concerns are an obvious bone of contention, but the feature uses on-device Gemini AI resources to analyse your calls and messages, and all conversations remain right there, on your device. No data is uploaded to the cloud during the scanning process. When I asked Google about this, Eugene Liderman, who is not only director of Android security and privacy product, but also chair of the GSMA fraud and security group, told me that “Scam Detection leverages the power of on-device AI to provide helpful real-time warnings, all while ensuring your conversations stay private to you.”
As per Sammy Fans, the Gemini AI model also runs locally on Galaxy S26 silicon, “analyzing calls and messages in real time without shipping your conversations to the cloud.” It looks for conversation cues that can surface scam behavior, and the native Samsung dealer and messaging framework user interaction integration pops up an alert when a potential scam is suspected. This includes, according to Android Police, “a warning sound and vibration, making sure you don’t miss the notification even if you’re distracted.”
There are many reasons to consider a Samsung Galaxy S26 as your next flagship smartphone, including the innovative built-in privacy screen functionality, but for me, the scam detection protection is right up there. While traditional spam and scam protections focus on protecting the user before a conversation starts, this AI-powered model detects patterns in real time throughout a conversation.
