First announced for Android in October 2024 and released to beta users in April 2025, Google Messages’ crucial security feature has finally been released for widespread use after a long wait. Sensitive Content Alerts uses artificial intelligence to automatically detect and blur unwanted photos containing nudity before they reach you.
How does Android block sensitive content?
When this feature is enabled, a photo sent to you that potentially contains nudity is displayed with a blurred preview in your chat screen. At this point, you are presented with three options:
- View: If you want to see the photo, you can remove the blur by giving additional confirmation.
- Delete: Permanently delete the content without ever seeing it.
- Block: Block the sender instantly, preventing them from messaging you again.
Most importantly, all this detection and blurring is done directly on your device. This means your privacy is protected and sensitive photos are never sent to Google servers.
What are the Default Settings?
Google offers this feature with different default settings for different user groups:
- Adult Accounts: The feature is disabled by default. Users must optionally enable it.
- Teen Accounts: The feature is enabled by default for protection.
- Supervised Accounts: The feature is always enabled for these accounts and cannot be disabled by the child. Parents can control this setting through the Family Link app.
How to Activate the Feature
If you are an adult user and want to add this layer of security, you can follow these steps:
- Open the Google Messages app.
- Tap your profile photo in the top-right corner.
- Go to the Messages settings menu.
- Enable the feature by going to Protection & security > Manage sensitive content warnings.
This feature provides protection not only for incoming messages but also for outgoing messages. When you try to send a sensitive photo, an additional confirmation prompt will appear to prevent accidental sharing.
