Android 14 may get a built-in anti-phishing feature

Google may be taking a new step to protect Android users from cyber criminals and offer a safer online experience. Phishing attacks are a particularly dangerous tactic that can trick even the most tech-savvy users into revealing sensitive information. So, to safeguard its users from such attacks, the tech giant is working on a new anti-phishing feature. This new security feature was found hidden within the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 release. With this feature, Google will automatically detect if apps are fishy.

According to a report by Android expert Mishaal Rahman (on Android Police), the latest Android beta version includes a hidden “scanning for deceptive apps” page under Settings>Security & privacy>More security & privacy.

How this feature is expected to work
Once enabled, this feature will check “app activity for phishing or other deceptive behaviour.” As per the report, the security check will be done by scanning the app for certain signs of deceptive behaviour.

Google claims that “scanning runs privately right on your device” and if it finds any phishing or other deceptive behaviour, “some app info is sent to Google Play Protect to confirm the threat and warn app users.”

However, the company is yet to share any official details about the feature and the report didn’t reveal how exactly Android will detect deceptive apps.

The report also noted that Android 14 QPR2’s decompiled source code has revealed a new system service called “ContentProtection”.

The report also claims that Android might be using a blocklist to ensure that this mechanism isn’t employed on certain apps. The service may also check whether an app is a system app or whether it requests Internet permission.

In October, Google upgraded its Play Protect tool to enable real-time scanning for apps. The company claims that Play Protect scans 125 billion apps daily to safeguard users from malware and unwanted software.

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