- NordVPN has launched Message Protection for Android users worldwide and is 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.
- Highlighted texts open in a secure view that prevents links from being accidentally intercepted, 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 in early 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 frontrunner for the title of best VPN, but this update is another step in its shift towards an all-in-one privacy and security app, rather than a service that simply encrypts your traffic.
Why text fraud continues to rise
According to GASA’s Global State of Scams 2025 report, text and SMS ranks as the second most common channel used by scammers. The same study, which surveyed 46,000 adults across 42 markets, found that 57% had been cheated in the past year, with global losses of an estimated $442 billion.
Citing the US Federal Trade Commission, NordVPN says text fraud losses hit $639 million in 2025, a 36% jump compared to the previous year. Fake parcel deliveries, fake bank alerts and unpaid toll notices are still some of the most common lures.
“Text messages have always been one of the easiest ways for fraudsters 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 and checks it against the phone’s reputation data, URL analysis and content categorization. When a message is assessed as malicious or suspicious, users receive an instant push notification naming the threat type and recommended action.
If you want to view a flagged message, you can do so in a secure viewer that prevents links from opening, and you can track how many messages and calls are flagged in the overall dashboard.
The feature runs quietly in the background even when the VPN is turned off, and NordVPN says it doesn’t save the content of any of the calls or texts.
How to turn it on
On a new installation, 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 and then follow the permission setup.
NordVPN has also launched Prompt Guard, a separate Chrome and Edge extension that warns you before entering sensitive data, such as passwords or card numbers, into AI tools.
