Google Messages will have the right to a reinforced security system! If you ever tap on a suspicious link in a message, the app will display a warning and try to dissuade you. An excellent prevention measure!
We keep repeating it, but you should never click on links from unknown sources, otherwise you expose yourself to serious dangers. It could be a phishing attempt, a scam or even a virus or malware that installs discreetly to steal your data or mine cryptocurrency without your knowledge. Also, you should carefully check the reliability of any Internet link about which you have the slightest doubt before clicking on it.
Installed as standard on most Android smartphones, Google Messages, which has attracted more than a billion monthly active users, already blocks the opening of suspicious links by opening a pop-up warning window, but the system is a little too easily circumvented. Just press the “Continue” button to open the link, and disaster strikes! Also, to prevent you from accessing certain suspicious websites or downloading shady files, the messaging service will adopt a new alert system to strengthen your security.
Links in Google Messages: a warning message for dangerous links
PiunikaWeb discovered in the beta version of Google Messages stamped 20240402_01_RC00 a new protection system – the function is currently being tested and is not activated by default at the moment. The new warning window, which will temporarily block the opening of the link, will appear when you click on links sent by RCS users who are not in your contact list, whether in SMS or in sent messages through the RCS protocol. “Links from people you don’t know can open unwanted or harmful content”, we can read. The novelty lies in the fact that, to open the link, you must tick a box “Continue with possible risk” to indicate that you understand the risks and agree to open the potentially harmful link.
The aim of this approach is to encourage users to rethink their actions and to take a step back before any action with disastrous consequences. In all cases – and this is valid for other means of communication, such as social networks or emails – carefully check the reliability of any Internet link about which you have the slightest doubt before clicking on it. You can also discover our practical guide to checking an Internet link in order to detect trapped URLs.