Galaxy S26 series poised to gain Google's Scam Detection, breaking Pixel exclusivity

A major Pixel-exclusive security feature could be the Galaxy S26's secret weapon

It is currently unclear if Samsung will replace its own dialer with the Google Phone app or if the feature will work as a user-installed app. One of the best Pixel features is Scam Detection. Introduced with the Pixel 9 series, Scam Detection notifies users about potential scams as they occur. This is done for phone calls, text messages, and even chat apps. So far, Scam Detection has been a Pixel-only feature, but it seems the feature could finally be losing that exclusivity, potentially starting with the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. Scam Detection is available on a variety of Pixel phones, but there's a slight difference in how it is implemented across generations. Pixel 9 series (excluding Pixel 9a) and Pixel 10 series in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, the UK, and the US get Scam Detection powered by on-device Gemini Nano via AI Core. Pixel 6 and later devices in the US also get Scam Detection, but it is powered by Google's on-device machine learning models. Within the Phone by Google app v206.0.857916353, we've spotted clues that indicate Google is working to bring Scam detection to the upcoming Galaxy S26 series, potentially making them the first non-Pixel phones to get the feature. We spotted mentions of what appear to be model numbers for the Galaxy S26 series in the Google Dialer app. Here, SM-S942 is expected to be the Galaxy S26, SM-S947 is expected to be the Galaxy S26 Plus, and SM-S948 is expected to be the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The model numbers are mentioned alongside the codenames of several Pixel devices, namely the Pixel 9 series (excluding Pixel 9a) and the Pixel 10 series. The last line of the code snippet above mentions "Sharpie," which is the codename for Scam Detection in the Google Phone app. The Pixel phones mentioned use on-device Gemini Nano for Scam Detection, and there's a chance the Galaxy S26 series could also do the same. With all of this said, we have a peculiar problem: Samsung Galaxy phones do not ship with the Google Phone app. Instead, they use the Samsung Phone app as the pre-installed default dialer. Users can download the Google Phone app from the Play Store and install it on their Galaxy phones and set it as the default dialer, but we're unsure if doing so will grant it all the requisite permissions needed for Scam Detection to work, as it will be classified as a user app instead of a system app. It remains to be seen if Samsung will preload the Google Phone app as the default dialer on the Galaxy S26 series and ditch the Samsung Phone app. There's precedence here, as the company ditched Samsung Messages in favor of Google Messages in 2024 to better support RCS features. Samsung Messages relied on carriers to support RCS, while Google Messages uses Google's own Jibe servers, so this move made some sense. There's no equivalent need for the dialer app, though, so there's less incentive for Samsung to make the move -- unless Google could be sweetening the deal, as it appears to be by allowing the Galaxy S26 series phones to be part of this exclusive club. Neither Google nor Samsung has announced this feature or change, and it remains to be seen whether it makes it to market at all on the Galaxy S26 series. We'll keep you updated when we learn more.

Samsung Galaxy phones are about to get one of the best Pixel-exclusive features

While Pixel phones may not be able to compete with Samsung Galaxy phones in sheer number of features, they do have some powerful exclusives. One example is the excellent Scam Detection feature, but it may not be exclusive for much longer. For those who are unfamiliar with Scam Detection, it uses Google's Gemini Nano AI to identify scam phone calls, text messages, and even messages in other chat apps. The extra cool thing is it's not just about blocking from the start -- Scam Detection can alert you during a call if something seems fishy. Now, it looks like Samsung Galaxy phones are about to get it, too. This information comes from some digging into the code of the most recent Phone by Google app. Model numbers that appear to be for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series are mentioned in the code. These model numbers can be seen alongside the internal codenames for the Pixel 10 series. Specifically, the model numbers are: * SM-S942 (Galaxy S26) * SM-S947 (Galaxy S26 Plus) * SM-S948 (Galaxy S26 Ultra) Currently, Galaxy phones ship with Samsung's own Phone app as the default dialer. The logical next question is, does this mean Phone by Google is about to be the new default dialer for Samsung phones too? The company has already thrown in the towel on its own Messages app in favor of Google Messages. So, it wouldn't be the first time Samsung has adopted a core Google app, and the companies have worked together many times in the past. Scam Detection would also be something Samsung could highlight as a new feature for the Galaxy S26 series. As a long-time Pixel owner, Scam Detection is a feature I regularly get to brag about. Many people I know with non-Pixel devices complain about frequent scam calls and text messages, but it's something I generally don't experience. Google updated Scam Detection several times last year, and it's genuinely one of the AI features I actually appreciate. Subscribe for in-depth coverage of Scam Detection Want clear, practical analysis of features like Google's Scam Detection and what they mean for Galaxy and Pixel users? Subscribe to our newsletter for expert breakdowns, hands-on insights, and the implications of these phone security tools. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Source: Android Authority Don't ignore your Samsung Galaxy's smartest feature Samsung Galaxy phones are packed with apps and underrated features, and sometimes it's easy to overlook some of the best ones. Instead of constantly using your phone and fumbling through settings, let this amazing feature do all the hard work for you. Smartphones are supposed to be "smart," and this one Samsung feature actually delivers. Posts 5 By Cory Gunther

Google's Scam Detection might be ready to shed its Pixel exclusivity

Karandeep Singh Oberoi is a Durham College Journalism and Mass Media graduate who joined the Android Police team in April 2024, after serving as a full-time News Writer at Canadian publication MobileSyrup. Prior to joining Android Police, Oberoi worked on feature stories, reviews, evergreen articles, and focused on 'how-to' resources. Additionally, he informed readers about the latest deals and discounts with quick hit pieces and buyer's guides for all occasions. Oberoi lives in Toronto, Canada. When not working on a new story, he likes to hit the gym, play soccer (although he keeps calling it football for some reason🤔) and try out new restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area. First released with the Pixel 9 series in 2024, Google's suite of Scam Detection features might just be ready to make the jump to non-Pixel phones. We're specifically talking about Scam Detection for phone calls, which appears to be making its way to Samsung's upcoming flagship series. Your Google Pixel's Scam Detection capabilities may get even better Support for chat apps is in the works Posts By Chethan Rao All existing Pixel devices can take advantage of Scam Detection, but the feature's inner workings differ on some devices. On the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series, Scam Detection is more powerful, and it is powered by on-device Gemini Nano via AI Core. All other Pixel devices, including the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 series, boast Scam Detection too, but powered by Google's proprietary on-device machine learning models. There's a chance that the Galaxy S26 series could use Gemini Nano for on-device AI tasks, and newly-found code strings in the Phone by Google app v206.0.857916353 suggest that one of those tasks could very well be Scam Detection. The development was highlighted by the folks over at Android Authority. Samsung might ditch its own dialer As previously spotted, the model numbers mentioned in the code strings are largely accepted to be S26 series model numbers. * SM-S942 is the Galaxy S26 * SM-S947 is the Galaxy S26 Plus * SM-S948 is the Galaxy S26 Ultra In the short code snippet, the S26 series is grouped alongside Google's own new flagships. We see codenames for the Pixel 9 family (Tokay, Komodo, Caiman, and Comet) as well as codenames for the Pixel 10 series (Mustang, Blazer, Frankel, and Rango). Want to know the most telling part? All the codenames are being fed into "Sharpie," which is the internal codename for the Scam Detection in the Phone by Google app. Subscribe to our newsletter for phone AI security insight Sign up for the newsletter to access clear, expert coverage of mobile Scam Detection, on-device AI like Gemini Nano, and how Pixel to Galaxy shifts could reshape call privacy and dialer choices - insightful analysis to help you follow smartphone AI and security developments. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. The development also suggests that Samsung might be ready to ditch its own dialer in favor of Google's. This would follow the South Korean tech giant's 2024 move when it replaced Samsung Messages with Google Messages to streamline RCS. Scam Detection might just be one of the main selling points of the upcoming series, with Samsung likely to mention the Ultra model's reported 'Privacy Display' more often. Read about the software-powered feature below. Samsung inadvertently leaks the Galaxy S26 Ultra's best feature Privacy Display all but confirmed Posts By Karandeep Singh Oberoi

The Galaxy S26 Series looks like getting one of the best features on Pixel phones - here's why Scam Detection could be a big win for Samsung

A successor to the Samsung Galaxy S25 is on the way (Image credit: Samsung) * Google AI Scam Detection is currently a Pixel exclusive * Hidden code suggests it's heading to the Samsung Galaxy S26 * Samsung's next flagships are expected to launch next month It looks as though one of the features that Google has so far kept as an exclusive for its own Pixel phones could be making its way to one of the best Samsung phones of 2026: the Galaxy S26 series is rumored to be getting the AI-powered Scam Detection alerts that warn users about scams in real time. The Android Authority team has found code hidden away in the latest version of the Google Phone app that mentions some new smartphone model numbers - numbers that match up with the Galaxy S26, the Galaxy S26 Plus, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra. These model numbers appear alongside references to various Pixel phones, and "Sharpie", which is the internal codename Google uses for Scam Detection. Join the dots and it seems as though the feature will be appearing on the Samsung Galaxy S26 series when these phones launch (probably next month). Nothing is certain yet though, and there is one problem to note: Samsung phones have their own Samsung Phone app installed by default, rather than the Google one. It's possible that the Google version will be the default one going forward, or that the Samsung equivalent will itself adopt the Scam Detection tech. Stay safe Scam Detection is one of those features that shows just how useful AI can be: it looks for patterns that match up with known scams, and warns you if someone might be trying to trick you. It works across phone calls and text messages, with everything running on your phone and nothing sent back to Google. Once you enable Scam Detection (it's actually off by default), it'll monitor calls and text messages with people who aren't already saved in your contacts list - so you won't suddenly find that one of your parents is labeled a scam threat. The feature is available on the Google Pixel 6 and later in the US, and on the Pixel 9 and later (excluding the Google Pixel 9a) in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the UK. In the case of the most recent handsets, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series of phones, the functionality is powered by the Gemini Nano model. Google doesn't promise a 100% success rate with Scam Detection, but it just might prevent you from being tricked out of some money or personal data. This adds to the long list of rumors and leaks that have appeared for the Galaxy S26 so far - and we've rated all the major ones in terms of how likely we think they are to be accurate. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.