Your Android Notifications Could Be A Security Nightmare In Waiting

Notifications on Android phones have been around for ages, but now, according to a report, they could pose a potential security risk. This is based on a blog post by security researcher Gabriele Digregorio. He found that the “Open Link” button could be manipulated to send users to a completely different website.

Whenever you receive a notification on Android, especially from a messenger app, it sometimes contains suggested replies. This is helpful and useful for quickly replying to messages. There are also times when you receive a link in a message. For example, when your friend sends you a link to YouTube or a website.

When that happens, the notifications will show an “Open Link” button that lets you quickly open the link in your browser. It sounds innocent enough, right? However, according to Digregorio, there is a security flaw that allows it to be manipulated. This means that there is potential for the link to be changed and send users to a different website.

This opens up the potential for phishing attacks, which can trick users into clicking on a link, thinking they’re heading to one website but are sent to another. According to Digregorio, this flaw stems from how Android handles some Unicode characters.

“The issue lies in the way Android handles (some) Unicode characters in notifications. Certain characters—including some invisible ones—are not filtered or processed consistently, causing a mismatch between what is rendered and what the suggestion engine parses.”

Google is aware

Digregorio says he reported this issue to Google in March 2025. It was then designated as “moderate” in terms of severity. This means that it will be addressed in a future update and doesn’t need to be patched immediately.

Google also issued a statement to Android Authority saying, “We are aware of this research and we are actively working on a fix for this issue that will be rolling out in a future security update. As general best security practice, we always advise users to avoid clicking on links from unknown or suspicious message senders.”

What does this mean for Android users right now? Basically, avoid using the “Open Link” button if possible. Instead, open the message and then click on the link. It’s an extra step or two, but better to be safe than sorry.