- NordVPN has launched Message Protection for Android users worldwide, adding SMS screening to its Call and Message Protection suite.
- The tool checks incoming texts from unknown senders and pushes a notification when a message looks malicious or suspicious.
- Flagged texts open in a safe view that stops links being tapped by accident, and NordVPN says it never stores message content.
NordVPN is rolling out a Message Protection feature to Android users worldwide, giving people a way to catch fraudulent texts before they become a threat. The tool automatically screens incoming SMS messages and flags anything that looks like a scam.
The feature, which was already made available to iPhone users at the beginning of June, joins existing Call Protection on a single screen, so there is now one place to manage defenses against both suspicious calls and malicious texts.
NordVPN has long been a front-runner for the title of best VPN, but this update is another step in its shift toward an all-in-one privacy and security app, rather than a service that simply encrypts your traffic.
Why text scams keep climbing
According to GASA’s Global State of Scams 2025 report, text and SMS rank as the second most common channel used by fraudsters. The same research, which surveyed 46,000 adults across 42 markets, found that 57% had been scammed in the past year, with global losses reaching an estimated $442 billion.
Citing the US Federal Trade Commission, NordVPN says text scam losses hit $639 million in 2025, a 36% jump compared to the previous year. Fake package deliveries, bogus bank alerts, and unpaid toll notices remain some of the most common lures.
“Text messages have always been one of the easiest ways for scammers to reach people at scale,” says Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN. “Message protection is about breaking that chain before it starts.”
How Message Protection works
The feature screens every incoming SMS from an unknown sender, checking it against phone reputation data, URL analysis, and content categorization. When a message is judged malicious or suspicious, users get an instant push notification naming the threat type and the recommended action.
If you want to view a flagged message, you can do so in a safe viewer that prevents links from opening, and you can track how many messages and calls get flagged in the unified dashboard.
The feature runs quietly in the background, even when the VPN is switched off, and NordVPN says it doesn’t store the content of any of the calls or texts.
How to switch it on
On a fresh install, you can enable Message Protection during the onboarding steps. Existing users can go from the Home screen to Call and Message Protection under the Product hub, then follow the permission setup.
NordVPN has also launched Prompt Guard, a separate Chrome and Edge extension that warns you before you paste sensitive data, such as passwords or card numbers, into AI tools.
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