Google Messages Upgrades Safety Feature to Detect Explicit Videos

Google Messages, the default messaging app for many Android devices, is receiving a significant upgrade to its safety features. Following an update to Google Play Services, the app can now detect nudity and other explicit content in videos, expanding its existing protection beyond just photos.

What’s New in the Update

The upgrade, identified in v25.39 of Google Play Services, enhances the existing Sensitive Content Warning feature. Previously, this feature could only blur and warn users about potentially explicit images. Now, it extends the same protective layer to shared videos, providing a more comprehensive safety net.

This move brings Google Messages in line with Apple’s Sensitive Content Warning system, which has been available on iPhones and iPads since 2023. The update began its gradual rollout on October 6, 2025.

How the Safety Feature Works

The system is designed to protect users both as senders and receivers:

For Receivers: When someone sends you a video that the AI detects as containing explicit content, the video will be blurred with a warning, allowing you to choose whether to view it.
For Senders: If you attempt to send a video that may contain sensitive material, the app will warn you before it’s sent, helping prevent accidental sharing of potentially embarrassing or private content.

How to Enable the Feature

This privacy-focused feature is opt-in, meaning it is not enabled by default. To turn on Sensitive Content Warnings:

Open the Google Messages app.
Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
Go to Messages settings.
Select Protection & Safety.
Tap Manage sensitive content warnings.
Toggle on “Warnings in Google Messages.”

A Broader Trend in Messaging Safety

This update is part of Google’s ongoing effort to make Google Messages a safer and more robust platform. The app has become the default on many Android phones, largely due to its strong adoption of RCS (Rich Communication Services), and has recently added other user-friendly features like the ability to unsend messages.

This proactive approach to digital wellbeing helps users maintain greater control over their messaging experience and protects them from unsolicited explicit content.