Google’s artificial intelligence powered Scam Detection feature could soon expand to vivo smartphones, a development that would make vivo the third major Android brand to support the technology following its earlier rollout on Pixel and Samsung devices. Given vivo’s substantial global user base, the expansion would potentially bring the fraud detection feature to millions of additional devices should it proceed as the current code references suggest.
Evidence pointing toward the expansion emerged during a teardown of version 234.0.9 of the Phone by Google application, which revealed that the app’s internal code now contains references to vivo alongside existing references to Google and Samsung within sections tied to the internal codename Sharpie, the name Google uses internally for its Scam Detection technology. While neither Google nor vivo has issued an official announcement confirming the rollout, the presence of vivo specific references within functioning sections of the app’s code strongly suggests preparatory work is already underway. It remains unclear which specific vivo devices would support the feature first, with the upcoming vivo X500 series considered one possibility, while support for older models such as the X300 family remains uncertain. Since the evidence originates from unfinished application code, the underlying plans could still change before any feature actually reaches end users.
Scam Detection works by using artificial intelligence running directly on the device to analyse ongoing conversations for patterns commonly associated with fraudulent activity. If a caller begins requesting unusual payment methods, such as gift cards, a pattern frequently associated with scam calls, the phone can display a warning to the user accompanied by sound and vibration alerts. On newer Pixel devices, the feature relies on Google’s Gemini Nano artificial intelligence model, while older supported Pixel phones use a different device machine learning technology. Google has stated that call audio and transcripts processed for Scam Detection purposes are analysed locally on the device itself and are not transmitted to the company’s servers, a design choice intended to address privacy concerns associated with monitoring live phone conversations. Samsung has similarly introduced its own version of AI Scam Detection on supported Galaxy devices running Android 16 with One UI 8.5 or newer, integrating the feature directly into its own Phone application rather than requiring users to switch to a different dialer.
It remains unclear whether vivo would choose to integrate Scam Detection into its own proprietary calling application or rely instead on the Phone by Google app to deliver the feature. The latter approach would align more naturally with vivo’s global market devices, where Google’s dialer application is already commonly used by default, while vivo continues to rely on its own separate phone application for devices sold within China, where Google services are generally unavailable. Google’s current public support documentation continues to list Scam Detection strictly as a Pixel exclusive feature, indicating that any expansion to vivo devices has not yet been formally confirmed or launched.
Despite the remaining uncertainty, the discovery suggests that Google’s real time scam protection technology may gradually extend across a considerably wider range of Android devices rather than remaining confined to Pixel phones and select Galaxy models. Given the scale of vivo’s global device footprint, a successful rollout would represent a meaningful expansion in the overall reach of AI based scam protection tools across the broader Android ecosystem, potentially setting a precedent for further manufacturer partnerships as on device fraud detection technology continues to mature.
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