News Unnoticed Update: Google's SafetyCore Appears on Android Devices

[Zork]

I today came across a reddit post about how google just push a secret update to our phone?

If you own an Android device, check your app list for "Android System SafetyCore." It was quietly installed on over 1 billion devices without user consent.

What is it? Google says it helps detect explicit content in messages using on-device machine learning.

What do you think? Is this a privacy overreach or just another safety feature?

Check if it’s on your device:

1. Open Settings → Apps
2. Search for "Android System SafetyCore"

 

[ibose]

Google Confirms Android SafetyCore Enables AI-Powered On-Device Content Classification

Google confirms Android SafetyCore, launched in October 2024, enables secure on-device classification without client-side scanning.

thehackernews.com

AND

https://twitter.com/x/status/1888280836426084502

PS : It's optional so available to remove and doesn't appear in the list of system apps under Netguard to block network access.

 

[bssunilreddy]

Yes it's installed for my phone and there is an option to remove it also.

 

[kewlboy9]

Surprisingly don't have it on my S23 Ultra.

 

[anmolbhard004]

Surprisingly don't have it on my S23 Ultra.

had it on s25 U deleted it

 

[TEUser2K1]

Found the same present on Samsung S20FE, old standby A03s.
Will uninstalling make a difference ?, already did it. Not using Google Messages app, rather Samsung's own app.

 

[kuduku]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.safetycore&hl=en_IN

Actual link

Surprisingly don't have it on my S23 Ultra.

my S23U has it

 

[kartikoli]

Uninstalled on Note 9 Pro

 

[Skidrow]

Thanks for heads up. Really suspicious as the screenshots are blank too. I have hope that one day we'll know what the Patch notes are for every app update. Some update on the play store but some don't at all which is not right.

 

[NikhilSingh25]

I have a pixel 7a, and I don't have this in my phone.