As AI-centric and heavily edited images become extremely challenging to distinguish from real photos, Google Messages has introduced the latest feature that offers a deeper insight into the media they get.
Google Messages now supports Content Credentials, a technology that shows how compatible photos, videos, and audio files were modified.
Depending on the C2PA standard, Content Credentials acts like a digital record attached to a media file. When accessible, they can show whether a photo was captured with a camera, edited using traditional tools, or modified with AI.
The feature could prove particularly useful in group chats, where suspicious images.
For example, if someone sends an image that looks unusually perfect, Google Messages may suggest that it originally came from a camera but was later edited using AI features.
In several cases, the app may only report that the image “may have been edited by AI tools” if it cannot determine the exact editing method.
However, the feature does not determine whether a photo is genuine or fake. It only shows information recorded in the file’s Content Credentials. If those credentials remain missing, that does not necessarily mean the photo is authentic or untouched.
Availability
Users can easily access the feature via Google Messages on Android and does not work on Google Messages for the web.
To check a file, launch a conversation, press and hold the photo, video or audio message, tap Info, and look for “How this was made.” If credentials are accessible, the section will display the media’s origin and editing history.
As AI tools become more common, features like this could offer users an extra layer of transparency when deciding what to trust—or forward.
