Worried that text is a scam? Circle to Search now has your back

By design, scams are difficult to suss out on your own. While some are easier to spot than others, there are times when scams are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. To help you stay safe from those attempting to take advantage of you, Google is giving you a new way to fight the scammers through Circle to Search.

One of the best features to come to Android in recent years has been Circle to Search. It allows you to search and find more information about whatever is on your screen by simply drawing a circle around it. Google is now rolling out an update to give the feature a new function, which should make it even more useful. You’ll now be able to use Circle to Search to help you figure out if a message you received is a scam.

If you come across a message you think is suspicious, you’ll be able to draw a circle around it to start a search. Doing so will bring up an AI Overview that will let you know if the message is likely a scam or not, based on information from across the web. If it is a scam, the Overview will offer relevant information and suggested steps on what to do next.

As with any AI product, you shouldn’t blindly put all of your trust into this feature. There’s always a possibility that the AI Overview could be incorrect. However, with this upgrade to Circle to Search, you now have another tool at your disposal to help keep you from falling victim to scams.