The company has updated the protection in its services so that users are less likely to encounter phishing links, can more easily verify the interlocutor, and can more quickly regain access to their profile after a hack or loss of their phone.
The company has updated the protection in its services so that users are less likely to encounter phishing links, can more easily verify the interlocutor, and can more quickly regain access to their profile after a hack or loss of their phone.
As Google explains in its blog, it’s not about one «magic button,» but a package of changes that work together: protection in Google Messages, new ways to verify your identity, and simplified account recovery.
The main innovation in Messages is a warning about dangerous links. If the system suspects that correspondence is spam, it will stop following any link in such a dialog and ask you to confirm that it is not spam. This makes it easier not to click on a phishing page when you are tired or in a hurry. The second element is Key Verifier in Messages. This is an easy way to make sure that you are communicating with the right person: just scan their QR code once and continue your encrypted conversation without fear of being impersonated.
A separate part of the updates concerns account access. First, Recovery Contacts have appeared: you can add several trusted people — family or friends. If you lose your password, key or phone, these contacts will help you quickly prove that the account is yours and regain control. Second, Google is launching «mobile number sign-in» on a new Android device: the system automatically finds your account by number and asks for the lock code from your old smartphone, without a password. This reduces confusion when moving to another phone after loss or theft.
The company says that this approach is necessary because fraudulent tricks have become much more believable: phishing masquerades as real emails, cloned voices, deepfake videos and convincing stories that lure data have appeared. Therefore, protection must be «built into» everyday actions — from clicking on links to restoring access. In parallel, Google has updated the security section in account settings and is preparing more tips about typical fraud scenarios so that users can recognize the risk more quickly.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Google is launching automatic cancellation of notification permissions in Chrome (Android and PC) for sites with a long period of zero user interest and a high frequency of pushes. The user will be informed about the disconnection and will be able to return the permission in the settings, while installed web applications will retain notifications.
