Sensitive content warnings in Google Messages are on by default for supervised users on sending, receiving, or forwarding of images that may contain nudity.
Sensitive content warnings:
- Detect and blur images that may contain nudity in Google Messages.
- Trigger a warning if your child tries to open, send, or forward a nude image.
- Provide resources for you and your child to get help.
All detection and blurring of nude images happens on the device, which ensures your images and data remain private.
Sensitive content warnings settings
Important:
- This feature is currently available in Google Messages and works on images.
- This feature is turned on by default for supervised users and signed in unsupervised teens.
- Supervised users: Your child can’t turn off this feature. Parents can control the feature through the Family Link app.
- Unsupervised teens (For 13-17 years of age): The feature can be turned off in Google Messages settings.
- Unsupervised adults (For 18+ years of age): The feature is off by default, but can be turned on in Google Messages settings.
Through Family Link settings
To find the feature on a parent’s device:
- On your Android device, open Family Link
.
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
Contacts, Calls + Texts
.
Contacts, Calls + Texts Tip: If you turn “Warnings in Google Messages” on or off, your child receives a notification on their Android device.
What happens when sensitive content warnings are on
If a supervised user attempts to view, send, or forward nude images in Google Message
When “Warnings in Google Messages” is on, sensitive content warning detects images that contain nudity. If an image that contains nudity is detected, the image will be blurred. Any attempts to open it will trigger a speed bump warning that includes help resources.
If a nude image is received, attempts to open the image prompts a speed bump which provides options below:
- Learn why nude images can be harmful: This takes them to a helpful resources page.
- Block this number: This blocks the sender’s number.
- Next: This asks your child if they’d like to open the image anyway. They can select either:
- No, don’t view
- Yes, view
- Back: This sends them back to messages.
If there’s an attempt to send a nude image, it prompts a speed bump which provides options below:
- Learn about image sharing and safety: This takes them to a helpful resources page.
- Block this number: This blocks the sender’s number.
- Next: This asks your child if they’d like to send the image anyway. They can either:
- Send the image, swipe right Yes, send.
- Cancel sending the image, select No, don’t send.
- Back: This sends them back to messages.
If there’s an attempt to forward a nude image, it prompts a speed bump which provides options below:
- Learn about image sharing and safety: This takes them to a helpful resources page.
- Next: This allows them to forward the image.
- Back: This sends them back to messages.
Troubleshooting
Sensitive content warnings aren’t working
You can check if:
- The intended supervised user is logged in to Google Messages.
- The sensitive content warnings are set up for the intended supervised user.
How sensitive content warnings are triggered
Sensitive content warnings uses SafetyCore to perform the classification on device and doesn’t send identifiable data or any of the classified content or results to Google servers.
As a system service, SafetyCore is only active when an application integrates with SafetyCore and specifically requests content to be classified. Images are not classified unless they are sent via Google Messages with the sensitive content warnings feature turned on. Like many supervision features, in order to ensure protection, SafetyCore cannot be uninstalled by a supervised user.