Google wants to give you more control over viewing and sharing images that may be explicit when they’re sent to you via Google Messages. The tech giant is currently rolling out sensitive content warnings, a safety feature announced last year that will automatically blur images suspected of containing nudity before they’re viewed.
When a message comes in, you’ll see a “speed bump” notification, where you have to stop and choose an option before opening a message. Those options include learning why explicit images can be harmful, getting the chance to block the number immediately, getting the option to click Back or choosing the ability to view the image. It will also remind you of the potential risks of sharing explicit content and help prevent accidental sends.
Google said this process happens entirely on your phone to maintain privacy and ensure end-to-end encrypted messages remain accessible only to the sender and recipient. The company also clarified that it does not have access to image contents, will not know whether nudity actually has been detected and does not send identifiable data to its servers.
In a post on its website, the company acknowledged that the feature “isn’t perfect,” noting: “It may occasionally detect images that don’t contain nudity or not detect images that contain nudity.”
The feature is opt-in for adults via Android settings and enabled by default (opt-out) for users under 18. It will roll out to Android 9 and above, including Android Go devices, with Google Messages.
