Google is changing the way you confirm if contacts are legit. The company has begun rolling out a QR code to verify that the person you're communicating with is, in fact, who they say they are, 9to5Google reports. The feature is currently available in beta.
An end-to-end encryption card isn't anything new, but verifying the encryption meant seeing an 80-digit code you could compare. Now, you'll still go Google Messages, tap their name and then go to their details page. But, instead, there will be an option to show your QR code or scan their code.
Verify keys “ensure only you and your contact can read the RCS messages you send each other,” Google states. The 80-digit comparison is still available if there's an issue with the QR code.
Google first announced the new feature last October, stating, “We’re creating a unified system for public key verification across different apps, which you can verify through QR code scanning or number comparison.” At the time, it said the feature would be available on all Android 9 devices and newer.
QR codes could be the new norm at Google. The company is also planning to switch SMS-based two-factor authentication on Gmail to QR codes.
