How you can make Messages work better for you

With optional features, such as automatic previews and real-time spam reports, Messages makes chatting easier and safer. These features work with your message data while keeping your messages private. And they're optional – so you're in control.

Automatic previews

What it means to turn on automatic previews

You'll see preview cards from Google related to certain content in your messages and when you search in the app. Cards appear for links, places and other types of content that the Messages app is able to recognise over time.

How we protect your data

Automatic previews only use select info (such as addresses and links) without linking it to identifiers like your name or phone number.

We use only the information needed for a preview

The Messages app uses on-device intelligence to automatically spot specific things, such as links or street addresses, in your chat history. We use those links and addresses to create preview cards.

We use data without personally identifying you

Those specific things, such as links and addresses, are the only parts of your message content that we use in this feature. They're sent to Google for a quick, secure look-up without saving them to your Google Account or Location History, and without linking them to identifiers such as your name or phone number.

You’re in control

You can turn automatic previews on or off at any time in Settings:

1. Open the Messages app .
2. Tap More  Settings.
3. Tap Automatic previews.
4. Turn on/off Show all previews.

Automatic previews include web link previews, but you can choose to only show web link previews. Learn even more.

Spam protection

How Messages helps to detect and prevent spam

Messages tries to detect suspected spam and lets you block and report spammers. If you see a suspected spam warning in Messages, you can let Google know whether it’s spam by tapping 'Report spam' or 'Report not spam'.

We use data without personally identifying you

When Spam protection is on, Google temporarily stores the phone numbers of received and sent messages for numbers that aren't in your contacts. This helps Google identify spammers.

This data is not linked to you or to identifiers such as your name or phone number, which means Google doesn’t know who you’re messaging. Your message content is not seen or stored by Google as part of this feature. Learn more about reporting spam or blocking a number.

You’re in control

Spam protection is turned on automatically, and you’ll be notified when this happens. You can turn it off at any time in Settings:

1. Open the Messages app .

2. Tap More  Settings.

3. Tap Advanced and then Spam protection (you’ll see Spam protection only if it’s available on your device).

4. Turn on/off Enable spam protection.