Google turned your Pixel Watch into a lie detector, but only with these 4 phones

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Google turned your Pixel Watch into a lie detector, but only with these 4 phones

Ever feel like answering your phone is just rolling the dice on whether it is a real call or another scam? It feels like half the time it rings, it is some spammy nonsense. And yes, sometimes you get a warning right away; other times, you don’t realize it is shady until you are already on the line. Well, Google is now making it even easier to catch those spam calls by adding in-call scam detection to the Pixel Watch.After debuting its AI-powered Scam Detection feature on Pixel phones, Google is now bringing that same tech to the Pixel Watch. That means real-time scam alerts on your wrist while you are in a call.

You will get a loud beep at the start of the call and every couple of minutes after. If the system detects a likely scam, you will also get a notification, beep and vibration. And if you know it is not a scam, you can just dismiss the alert right from the watch.

There are a few catches, though. This feature only works on the Pixel Watch 2 or Watch 3 and they need to be paired via Bluetooth with a Pixel 9 series phone – so that is the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL or the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Plus, right now, it is only available in the US and only for English-language calls.Oh, and also, your watch needs to stay within Bluetooth range of your phone. If it is connected over LTE but your phone isn’t nearby, you won’t get scam alerts. Still, some scam protection is better than none.

The Pixel Watch 3 is Google’s latest entry into the world of smartwatches. | Image credit – PhoneArena

To turn it on, first make sure your Pixel phone is running the latest version of the Phone app, then:

Open the Phone app
Tap More, then go to Settings
Tap Scam Detection
Toggle it on

Once it is enabled, the feature quietly works in the background during calls. As I mentioned, you will hear a beep at the start, so don’t be surprised, and then periodically through the call while it scans for anything shady.

It is great to see more tech companies and the three big carriers – T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon – tackling the rising threat of scams – especially since AI has made them even harder to spot. Still, AI might be helping scammers, but at least it is also helping stop them, right? And if you are trying to stay one step ahead of the tricks out there, don’t miss our guide on staying safe in a world that is full of them.

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