Samsung Electronics said on the 16th it will further strengthen its "phishing app (application) risk alerts" starting with One UI 9.0, which will roll out with new smartphones in the second half of this year.

/Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Previously, the system only blocked the installation of phishing apps, but it will now also block their execution. At the time of installation, it will check Galaxy Store reputation data to determine whether an app is suspected of phishing, and if the app is confirmed to be malicious, it will immediately block execution. In addition, if an app is installed within hours after a suspected voice phishing call or via remote control, a new feature will prompt users to delete it with a warning alert when they attempt to run it. The approach is to prevent dangerous apps from running before users notice damage and to prompt deletion.

Samsung Electronics is regularly updating security policies based on data provided by the Korean National Police Agency and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA). Users can check and download the latest policy updates from the "Security policy updates" menu on Galaxy devices to keep device security up to date.

Samsung Electronics steps up Galaxy security, moving from blocking malicious app installation to blocking execution. Samsung Electronics says on the 16th that starting with One UI 9.0, applied to new smartphones in the second half of this year, it strengthens "phishing app risk alerts." It blocks not only installation but also execution by checking Galaxy Store reputation data at install and immediately blocking launch if the app is confirmed malicious, and it guides deletion with warning alerts for apps installed within hours after suspected voice-phishing calls or via remote control, preventing risky apps from running before users notice damage and prompting removal. Samsung Electronics regularly updates security policies based on data from the Korean National Police Agency and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), and users can keep devices up to date via the Security policy update menu. From the Galaxy S25 series, the Deep Learning-based Block with Intelligence feature classifies and blocks suspected messages such as illegal gambling, loans, stocks, and smishing by having AI learn about 500,000 cases per month provided by KISA. From the Galaxy S26 series, Call Screening lets Galaxy AI answer incoming calls, summarizing caller information and the call so users can review at a glance before responding and decline if it appears spam or a scam; all processing is on-device, keeping personal data from being sent outside and protected on the phone. Samsung Electronics co-develops a Malicious Message Blocking feature with the Korea Media and Communications Commission and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) for Galaxy smartphones in Korea, preemptively blocking malicious spam based on caller ID, risky links, and spam content (keywords) from KISA; since its rollout in September 2024 through April this year, it has blocked about 400 million malicious messages cumulatively. From the Galaxy S25 series, the Deep Learning-based Block with Intelligence feature is introduced, where AI learns about 500,000 cases per month from KISA to automatically classify and block suspected messages such as illegal gambling, loans, stocks, and smishing. From the Galaxy S26 series, Call Screening lets Galaxy AI answer incoming calls and provide users with a summary of caller information and the call; users can instantly decline if it seems spam or a scam, and all processing is on-device so personal information is not transmitted externally and stays protected on the smartphone. /Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

In particular, starting with the Galaxy S25 series, the Deep Learning–based "Block with intelligence" feature has been introduced and is available on Galaxy smartphones running One UI 7.0 or later. Using about 500,000 data points per month provided by KISA, artificial intelligence (AI) learns to automatically classify and block suspicious messages related to illegal gambling, loans, stocks, and smishing.

"Call screening," introduced with the Galaxy S26 series, is a feature in which Galaxy AI answers incoming calls on your behalf and summarizes the caller information and the call content. Users can review the content at a glance before answering and decline the call if it appears to be spam or a scam. All processes are handled on-device, so personal information is not transmitted externally and is safely protected within the smartphone.

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