Google Messages Just Upgraded Its Safety Feature That Detects Explicit Content

Google is upgrading the safety features it provides in the Google Messages app on Android devices. The latest upgrade, which dropped with v25.39 of the Google Play Services update this month, allows for Google Messages to detect when nudity or other explicit content is found in shared videos. The feature builds on the sensitive content warnings feature, which allows the app to detect explicit imagery in photos and images. We don't have a timetable for the feature's release, as Google Play system updates tend to roll out gradually.

For now, though, the update began rolling out on October 6, 2025. Android Authority was the first to spot the change in the latest update notes for Google Play services, and it's a much-needed step forward for messaging on Android. Apple has offered a similar system on iPhones and iPads since 2023, when it rolled out its own Sensitive Content Warning feature.

Google has continued to improve and update its messaging app, which has become the default messaging app on many Android devices, including Samsung devices, thanks to its RCS adoption. This new safety feature is the latest addition, joining a line of other changes like the ability to unsend messages in Google Messages.

One handy part of these new safety features is that they don't just protect you when you're receiving messages. If you go to send an image, and the system detects it might contain nudity, it'll also warn you, allowing you to decide not to send it. This is great for those pictures where you don't realize something might be a bit too risqué — like a beach photo with other people in the background.

The feature isn't turned on by default, though. If you want to receive sensitive content warnings, you'll need to open the Messages app, tap on your profile photo, then select Messages settings > Protection & Safety > Manage sensitive content warnings, and then tap the toggle for Warnings in Google Messages.