Google Messages is quietly but significantly upgrading its privacy defenses. The app can now automatically scan videos and warn you before you open one that may contain nudity or explicit material. 
It’s the next logical step after Google introduced Sensitive Content Warnings for images – and now that protection extends to moving pictures as well.
Back in August, Google began testing a feature that blurred potentially explicit photos before users viewed them. This feature, powered by on-device AI, aimed to reduce accidental exposure to inappropriate media, especially in mixed or family chat groups. With the October 2025 Play Services update (v25.39), Google Messages officially expands this system to include videos. In other words, the app can now detect nudity or explicit content within video messages, applying the same safe and private process users already trust for images.
As noted in the latest Play Services release notes, the feature is still rolling out gradually. Like many of Google’s server-side updates, it might take a few weeks before everyone gets it. Once it arrives, you’ll notice the same behavior: when a video containing nudity is detected, it’s automatically blurred and marked as sensitive. The recipient then decides whether to open or delete it – keeping the choice fully in the user’s hands.
The real innovation lies in how the feature works. The scanning and detection happen entirely on your device thanks to SafetyCore – an Android privacy framework specifically designed for detecting nudity in photos and videos without uploading them to any external servers. That means none of your personal media files ever leave your phone. Google’s approach combines privacy with practicality: sensitive content detection without compromising data security.
For those wondering, the new protection works on both incoming and outgoing videos, so even if you’re about to send something questionable by accident, Messages can catch it before it’s delivered. And since the feature is optional, users can choose whether to enable it in their settings. It’s a delicate balance between safety, freedom, and trust – and Google seems to be getting it right this time.
Apple users may find this familiar. Apple’s Communication Safety in iMessage already blurs explicit media and gives safety guidance, but it’s primarily aimed at children’s accounts. The key difference is scope: Apple’s system is designed with minors in mind, while Google’s protection covers both teens and adults, automatically adjusting sensitivity based on the user’s age. This means parents, teens, and even business users can all benefit without feeling the system is invasive.
While this update may not make flashy headlines like a new phone or Android version, it’s a quietly important one. It reflects Google’s growing recognition of the psychological and social impacts of exposure to explicit material, especially among younger users. In an age where people constantly exchange videos through social apps, these automatic filters act as a digital safety net – one that prevents awkward, harmful, or simply unwanted surprises.
Crucially, all of this happens privately. Nothing is sent to the cloud, and no one at Google sees your content. This privacy-first approach addresses one of the biggest fears users often have when it comes to AI-based moderation: data misuse. Google’s answer is simple – everything stays on your phone.
With the new video detection now live in Play Services 25.39, the rollout will continue through October and November. For users who care about privacy and safety, this marks a major improvement in how we interact with modern messaging apps. It’s not a flashy innovation – it’s a protective one, and that’s what makes it worth paying attention to.
1 comment
finally some decent privacy update from google 👏