Google Messages adds on-device nude-content warnings with blur

Google Messages on Android is expanding its safety features with Sensitive Content Warnings that blur nude images, while handling detection and processing entirely on the device. The rollout, which follows beta testing and a prior announcement last year, is designed to reduce embarrassment and misuse without sending private images to servers. Activation requires being signed into a Google Account within the Messages app, and the feature is controlled through a dedicated safety setting. Adults must opt in, while parental controls and Family Link govern how it works for younger users. The system also provides guidance when a nude image is involved and instructs users on options such as blocking the sender or reporting abuse.

The core mechanism relies on an on-device toolset powered by Android System SafetyCore. When a nude image is detected, the viewer is presented with a blurred version of the content, and additional steps are required if the user chooses to proceed. The process is designed to protect privacy, with Google stating that no identifiable data or the images themselves are sent to Google servers, and all classification occurs locally on the device. If a nude image is...