Phones Canada is excited to announce a new security feature for Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. The “Android Safe Browsing” tool is designed to protect users from malware and phishing scams, adding an extra layer of security within supported apps.
Android Safe Browsing alerts you to potential security threats, such as harmful links and webpages, while you browse within apps. For example, if you tap a link in your news app that leads to a known phishing site, you will receive an alert. This feature taps into Google’s extensive database of known threats to keep users safe while browsing the web.
The functionality of Android Safe Browsing can be compared to the warnings you receive in the Chrome browser when navigating to risky links. The feature requires apps to use the “SafetyNet” Safe Browsing API, which allows them to determine if a URL has been flagged as a known threat by Google.
For Pixel devices, this new feature can be accessed by navigating to Settings > Security & privacy > More security & privacy. On Samsung Galaxy devices, it can be found in Settings > Security & Privacy. However, the roll-out is currently phased and controlled by Google’s servers, so not everyone may have access yet.
While it’s unclear whether Android Safe Browsing will remain exclusive to Pixel and Galaxy devices, it is expected that most phones using Google Play Services will eventually receive this update. Phones Canada looks forward to seeing this important security enhancement become available on a wider range of Android devices in the future.
