Tech

Google Phone's new search tool helps you avoid scammers

What you need to know Google's latest Pixel Feature Drop for June 2024 will add a feature called Lookup to the Phone app. The new button simplifies the process of reverse phone number lookup and helps you determine if a missed call is worth returning. The feature is available in the latest Phone by Google app beta and will be expanded to all users soon.

Google recently announced all the features coming in the June Pixel Feature Drop, and one of the little ones is Lookup, a new tool in the Phone by Google app that makes it easier to find callers from unknown numbers. While it may not be as exciting as some of the other features in the Pixel Feature Drop, like display output support, it's still a noteworthy addition to one of the best smartphones out there. Having a way to reverse lookup a phone number can save you time and stress by letting you know if it's worth calling back.

Lookup was announced in a recent Feature Drop but isn't available to all users yet. For now, it's included in the Phone by Google app for beta testers. We've seen it in version 133 of the beta, but 9to5Google first spotted it in version 132. If you install the beta version of the Google Phone app, when you select Recent Missed Calls, you'll see a new fourth option underneath it:

Previously, the Phone by Google app[最近]When I tapped on the missed call tab, it gave me three options: Add Contact, Message, and History. To look up the phone number, I had to manually copy the number and search it in Google or any browser. Some people were using this method, but it required some “knowledge” to make it work. The Phone by Google app did not include instructions on how to reverse look up a phone number.

Now, the fourth option, “Search,” does just that. It's a new button in Phone by Google that takes the hassle out of searching for a phone number. The feature itself isn't groundbreaking, but the important thing is that search is now front and center in the Phone by Google app. More people will see it, more people will use it, and more scammers will waste less of their time on it.

How the new lookup feature works

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(Image courtesy of Brady Snyder/Future)(Image courtesy of Brady Snyder/Future)(Image courtesy of Brady Snyder/Future)

Google's Phone app already has protections against scam calls, like adding a fraud risk tag to caller IDs for numbers known to be associated with scams. Your mobile carrier may offer some protection as well. But there's nothing to help the Google Phone app determine whether a number you don't recognize or a missed call is worth returning. That's where Lookup comes in. Having tried it out on a Google Pixel 8a, I think it could save users a lot of time.

It's simple. In the Google Phone app,[最近]If you see a missed call in your tab, you probably won't know what the call is about, especially if it's from a number you don't recognize and the person on the other end hasn't left a voicemail message. Even if they did leave a message, it could be misleading. Law enforcement agencies across the United States have been warning about police impersonation phone scams for the past few months. Scammers use real names, addresses, and places of employment to trick unaware citizens. One way to check if a call is legitimate is to use the search feature.

Tapping the search button will immediately open a page in Google Search where you can learn more about where the call is coming from. If you use the entire phone number, including the country code, Google may show results that explain where the missed call is coming from. In one of our tests, Google didn't tell us anything about the unknown number.

But in another test, Google Phone Search worked exactly as intended: it told me the missed call was from a German county office. Since I had no connection to Germany, I knew the call was either a mistake or a scam and I had no reason to call back. Spoofing phone numbers has never been easier, and it's entirely possible for scammers to use seemingly legitimate numbers to trick people. Tracking down the caller with Phone Search means you won't waste time calling back people who have no real reason to contact you.

How it helps users avoid fraud

(Image courtesy of Android Central)

Lookup will have the biggest impact on those who are less savvy when it comes to spotting potential scams. For seasoned tech users, the Lookup tool simplifies the process of reverse number lookup but doesn't add any new functionality. But for those who would never think to Google a call from a number they don't recognize, it will be a game changer. Putting the new Lookup button right in front of users will encourage more people to use it in the Google Phone app.

In addition to avoiding scams, Lookup saves users time. As mentioned above, phone scams are becoming more and more sophisticated. Scammers posing as police or court officials can have a meticulous script and precise information, making it difficult to tell if it's a scam or a serious matter. By the time it becomes clear that the call is a scam (bad actors usually ask people to make payments in questionable ways), you may have wasted 30 minutes believing the call was real.

With the search tool, it's possible that a call wasn't coming from a real office before someone calls back. This not only saves people time, but it also prevents money and identity theft. It's always nice when technology companies make it easier to avoid online scams, and this new feature does just that.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/google-phones-new-lookup-tool-will-help-you-evade-scammers

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