All-in-one digital security and privacy app NordVPN is bringing its message protection feature to iOS.

The new feature screens incoming texts from unknown senders and flags scams before users act on them.

Alongside scam call protection, which warns users about potentially fraudulent incoming calls, message protection is part of NordVPN’s call and message protection toolkit.

Both sit on one screen in the NordVPN app, so users manage protection against fraudulent calls and malicious texts in the same place.

NordVPN is also revealed that it’s launching HangUp on iOS, a free standalone app that identifies and categorises incoming calls and lets users block whole categories such as scam or spam calls.

A free Nord account is all that’s needed to power this as the setting works without a NordVPN subscription.

Both have been available on Android since earlier this year.

“A second pair of eyes”

Domininkas Virbickas, Product Director at NordVPN commented: “People get a lot of messages in a day. Delivery notices, bank alerts, codes, reminders.

“When they all look alike it gets hard to tell which one is real. We act as a second pair of eyes and tell you when something looks off.

“Everyone gets scam calls, so everyone should be able to see them coming.

“HangUp is free because the quickest way to cut down the damage these calls do is to put a warning in front of as many people as possible,” he concluded.

How message protection works

According to the company, the message protection checks every SMS from an unknown sender against phone reputation data, URL analysis and content categorisation.

Suspicious messages trigger a push notification naming the threat type and what to do about it.

Flagged texts open in a safe view that stops links from being tapped by accident.

A dashboard shows what’s been caught and how often.

NordVPN does not store the content of any calls or messages.

Setup runs during install or from the Product hub in the app, after that it works in the background, with or without the VPN switched on, NordVPN added.

What HangUp does

HangUp screens incoming calls in real time and shows who is calling before the user picks up.

NordVPN said that each call is sorted into a category such as scam, telemarketing, survey, debt collection or fraud, so users can tell at a glance what they are dealing with.

Users decide what gets through.

They can block scam and telemarketing automatically, so a flagged call never rings.

A call log keeps a record of what was blocked and why, and numbers can be reported to improve detection for everyone using the app.

NordVPN highlighted that the app is free with no subscription or trial, and runs on its own without the NordVPN app installed. It is available on the App Store.