Updated

Updated · Android Authority · Aug 14

Google Readies Pixel Scam Detection for Outgoing Calls on Pixel 9 as Beta Code Reveals Expansion

Updated

Updated · Android Authority · Aug 14

Google Readies Pixel Scam Detection for Outgoing Calls on Pixel 9 as Beta Code Reveals Expansion

Q: Could Google's new AI scam detector accidentally flag your legitimate outgoing calls as fraudulent?

Yes—if Google expands Scam Detection to outgoing calls, legitimate calls could be flagged by mistake, at least occasionally. That risk exists with any AI system that looks for suspicious language patterns in real time. Google’s current Scam Detection for incoming calls listens for hallmarks of fraud such as urgent payment requests, gift card demands, bank-account warnings, or pressure tactics. A real call that uses similar language—calling a bank, disputing a charge, helping a relative with money, or discussing account security—could potentially resemble scam behavior. What limits the risk is how Google says the feature works today. On Pixel 9 and newer devices, Scam Detection is opt-in, runs entirely on-device using Gemini, and does not send audio or transcripts to Google. It is designed to warn users, not automatically block calls. So even if an outgoing call were incorrectly flagged, the likely result would be an alert or caution rather than the call being stopped or reported as fraud. The feature also has not launched yet for outgoing calls. The evidence so far is only a beta flag—`enableSharpieOnOutgoingCalls`—and Google has not confirmed timing, final behavior, or testing results. That means the false-positive rate is unknown. The likely trade-off is the same as with incoming-call screening: some mistaken warnings in exchange for catching more scams, especially schemes where criminals tell victims to call them back to bypass incoming-call protections.

3 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Aug 14

Beta code in the Phone by Google app shows Google is developing Scam Detection for outgoing calls, extending a Pixel feature that currently watches only incoming calls.
The new flag — "enableSharpieOnOutgoingCalls" — appeared in a recent beta build, though the feature could not be activated and no release timing is known.
Google appears to be closing a loophole where scammers could avoid alerts by getting victims to place the call instead of calling them directly.
On Pixel 9 and newer, Scam Detection is powered by Gemini, with Google saying call analysis runs on-device, is opt-in, and does not send audio or transcripts to Google.
Because the finding comes from an APK teardown, the outgoing-call version remains a work in progress and may never reach public release.