Android 17 to bring AI scam detection, new potent anti-theft tools & more

Google at the 2026 edition of the annual Android Show: I/O Edition event offered a sneak peek at all the new features coming in the soon-to-be-released Android 17.

The new OS is coming with several user-privacy-centric features to make Android phones more secure than ever.

For the last several years, particularly since the COVID-19-induced pandemic, there has been a surge in online fraud, such as digital arrests, impersonation of bank executives, and income tax officials to steal the hard-earned money of innocent citizens worldwide.

To curb such illegal activities, Google is collaborating with banking companies worldwide to implement verified phone calls, so customers know the person on the other end of the call is a genuine bank officer. Also, with Android 17, Google is incorporating an anti-spoofing mechanism to prevent threat actors from scamming potential victims.

Once upgraded to Android 17, phones will automatically end calls from spoofed numbers impersonating participating financial apps.

Scam phone call detection coming with Android 17 update.

Besides spam calls, there is also a surge in fake apps. Naive phone users unknowingly install APK (Android Package Kit) apps shared on messenger and social media apps. And, they, in most cases, come with malware. Once installed, the app icon disappears or disguise as a known utility app to evade detection and works secretly in the background without the knowledge of the user to track, read messages and steal credentials of financial apps.

Live threat detection feature coming in Android 17.

To end this menace, Google is bringing the Live Threat Detection feature to Android 17. The Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered security feature will periodically scan the device looking for suspicious behaviours from apps. Once detected, it will warn the user that a particular app is risky and needs to be uninstalled.

This feature also covers SMS forwarding, where an app forwards a message to another number, and accessibility overlay, in which an app uses the accessibility permission to continuously display imperceptible content on the screen that could be used to trick the potential victim into taking an unintended action.

Another big security improvement coming to Android 17 is that the phone will prevent all third-party apps from accessing One-Time-Password (OTP) for three hours. Whenever the user gets an OTP when using an app, only the latter can read the messages. Others won't be able to see it for three hours. This will greatly help users from falling victim to online fraud.

And, on the Chrome app for Android, Google is bringing another layer of protection, particularly when downloading from a third-party website onto the phone. Once the Safe Browsing is turned on and the user wants to download an app, Chrome will evaluate the APK for known malware and stop the user from downloading it.

In December, Google had rolled out Android update with USB protection and intrusion logging to phones with Android 16 OS to prevent physical hacking of the phone. Now, with Android 17, Google is expanding core advanced protections by restricting access to the accessibility service for all apps not labelled as accessibility tools.

It will also disable device-to-device unlocking and Chrome WebGPU support and integrate scam detection for chat notifications. For corporate clients, in the coming months, Google will enable Android Enterprise support for Advanced Protection, so organisations can turn on this protection by policy for managed devices.

New Anti-theft feature coming in Android 17.

Google is also bringing another layer of security to the Find Hub’s 'Mark as lost' feature in Android 17. This will allow the owner to lock a phone with biometric authentication, in addition to the regular device passcode or PIN.

This means, even if the thief knows the passcode or PIN, he/she won't be able to alter system settings once the phone is marked as lost.

Further, Android 17 enables additional protections like hiding Quick Settings and disabling new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.

Also, Android 17 will bring AISeal with Protected Kernel-based Virtual Machine (pKVM), meaning all AI tasks are processed securely on-device or when relayed to a cloud server.

Android OS verification notifies a user that their device is running an official Android build.

In several countries worldwide, there is a huge black market selling phones with unofficial forked OS, which look like legitimate software. But these malicious versions are created to deceive the victims by mimicking the official OS while secretly compromising the integrity of the device.

To curb this issue, Google is bringing Android OS verification to Android 17. Initially, it will be available first on Pixel devices. This new feature helps the owner verify that his/her device is running an official, widely distributed build of the Android OS.

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.