Circle to Search Update Adds Spam Detection; Google Brings Urgent Call Notes, New Emoji to Android

Google's Circle to Search tool has been updated with support for scam detection, allowing users to identify fraudulent content on their screen with a tap. This update is part of the new Android 16 build and will roll out soon to eligible Android smartphones. Google has also added more functionality to Android, including an update to the Phone by Google app that lets users mark a call as urgent, with the new Call Reason feature. The update also allows users to leave and report spam group chats. Google also says that its Expressive Captions feature is now available for all live videos.

Google's Phone App Gains Support for Call Reason Feature

The tech giant, through a blog post, announced new features for Android to help users share and connect with people. The Circle to Search feature now allow users to quickly find more details about what they see on the screen, including when they suspect a scam. This feature will display an AI Overview with information sourced from the Web, helping users to identify potential fraud. 

Additionally, Android now makes it easier to leave unwanted group chats in Google Messages. When users are added to a group by an unknown number, they will immediately get an alert with key group details and safety tips.

The update brings a new Call Reason feature (currently in beta) in the Phone by Google app that lets users mark a call to a saved contact as “urgent.” This urgent tag will be displayed on their incoming call screen. If the call went unattended, the tag will remain in their call log for quicker response.

Further, Google announced that its Expressive Captions feature on Android will show real-time captions. It will also display emotion tags like joy or sadness. Users can now also access Emoji Kitchen sticker combos on Android. 

Finally, Google now allows users to pin tabs in Chrome on their Android phone to easily access important pages. Pinned tabs will be fixed at the front of the browser.