Now You Can Easily Check the Identity of Your Contacts on Android.
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Have you ever received suspicious messages from someone pretending to be a friend but actually using their real number? Well, in the age of caller ID spoofing , where people manipulate caller ID to impersonate someone else, it’s always a good idea to be cautious. That’s why Google is finally ending beta testing a Messages feature that helps you fight back.
The idea, dubbed “Android System Key Verification,” is simple and previously existed as a standalone app . Now, directly from the Messages app, you and your contact can scan QR codes displayed on or sent from each other’s devices to verify your identity. You can then check suspicious messages to ensure they weren’t received from a verified contact. The new QR code system is an alternative to the previous one, which required you and your contact to verify that the 80-digit verification codes in your chats matched.
To try this, open the Google Contacts app. Tap your friend’s contacts page and, under Contacts settings, tap “Verify Keys.” Then, ask your friend to scan the QR code that appears on your device. They can do this in person or by taking a screenshot. Then, repeat the process, but this time scanning their QR code. Note that while you can do this remotely using screenshots, for security reasons, it’s best to do it in person, especially if you’re no longer sure of the identity of the person you’re messaging (in which case, you might want to compare verification codes, which you can still do).
After verifying a contact, you can be sure that all future messages from them are genuine. Simply open the suspicious message, then in the upper right corner of the screen, tap “View Details” > “View Details” > “Verify Keys” and follow the on-screen instructions. You can do this in group chats by going to “View Details” > “Group Details,” then scrolling to the contact you want to verify and selecting “View Details” > “Verify Keys.”
This approach isn’t perfect—you’ll have to verify your contacts before receiving offensive messages (or ignore the offensive message until you see your contact in person). Your contact may also lose verification status if they get a new device or SIM card. But it’s definitely more convenient than the previous 80-digit code solution. However, if you want to compare codes with your contact, you can still do so. On the QR code page, select “Compare verification codes” to open a page with your code to compare with your friend’s.