How Google protects you from dangerous apps: Top Play Protect features on Android

Google Play is the go-to source for downloading apps on Android. Google ensures that the experience remains safe so that users can trust the apps they download from the platform. However, sometimes bad actors attempt to bypass security measures and cause harm to users. Over the years, Google has worked to improve its tools to better monitor policy compliance while allowing legitimate apps to thrive. Google also actively targets developers attempting to publish harmful apps on the platform. 

The company says it has continually strengthened its security measures and, in the past year alone, blocked 2.36 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play. It also banned over 1,58,000 developer accounts trying to distribute harmful apps. But how does Google do it? What safeguards are in place to prevent such threats? We break it all down here—read on.

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How Does Google Do It?

To safeguard users, Google employs a combination of human reviewers and advanced AI threat detection technology. In 2024, the company integrated AI to boost malware detection, enabling it to identify and block malicious apps more effectively. Google claims that over 92% of harmful app reviews are now AI-assisted, making the process faster and more accurate.

Google also implements multi-layered protections against harmful apps. This security framework begins with developers, who are provided with best practices and on-demand training resources to ensure they build high-quality, safe apps. Before an app appears on the Play Store, Google subjects it to rigorous reviews and testing.

For users, Google provides various safety indicators, such as app reviews, ratings, and a dedicated data safety section, allowing them to make informed decisions before downloading an app.

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Google Play Protect’s Role

Google Play Protect also plays a vital role in device security. It continuously scans Android devices for malicious apps and alerts users when threats are detected. This protection extends beyond apps downloaded from the Google Play Store and also covers apps installed from external sources, including sideloaded apps. Google says Play Protect provides real-time defences against scams, malware, and abusive applications.

Google recently revealed in a blog post that Play Protect now scans more than 200 billion apps daily across devices and performs real-time scanning at a code level to detect threats like polymorphic malware. Over the years, it has strengthened Play Protect with several new security advancements across Android devices through Google Play services.

Play Protect Features

Features include reminder notifications in Chrome on Android to prompt users to re-enable Play Protect if it has been disabled, additional protection against social engineering attacks to prevent cybercriminals from tricking users into disabling Play Protect services, and automatic revocation of app permissions for potentially dangerous apps. This approach, in place since Android 11, ensures that permissions are automatically reset for apps users haven’t accessed in a while.

Google also protects users through app badging, allowing them to verify if an app belongs to a government entity, as government apps are often impersonated. There is also a new badge to help Google Play users find VPN apps, ensuring they can identify the right kind of applications.