Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google Messages will now automatically blur NSFW photos that you receive or send.
It will show warnings before opening any explicit media shared with you to ensure you approve of it.
It will also warn you of the risks of sending such photos before you do.
All processing takes place locally on your device, so none of the private media is sent to Google.
The outpouring of multimedia junk, thanks to RCS, in Android’s default Messages app has inspired Google to bolster it with extensive spam protection. Now, it is expanding its protection features to any NSFW (Not Safe For Work) media you might receive in your inbox, with or without soliciting.
Google Messages is gaining “Sensitive content warnings” that will notify you when you receive a picture of someone naked. The feature, first announced in late 2024 and then rolled out in beta earlier this year, is now available to all users, as noted by 9to5Google.
When the feature is enabled, the images will be automatically blurred to save you from any public embarrassment, even if they were meant for you. It will give you another set of “Yes” and “No” options when you first tap the image to ensure you open it mindfully. If you are uncomfortable viewing the picture, you can also delete it without revealing its contents, or block and report the sender.
Google says nudity in pictures will be identified with an Android system feature called SafetyCore. The analysis and processing happen locally, so you wouldn’t have to worry about any private media being sent to Google. There is currently no protection for other media, such as GIFs or videos, possibly because of their larger sizes, although Google is already testing support for them.
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