At Google I/O 2017, Google announced Google Play Protect, a new suite of services that will help secure your Android device with Google Play Services installed.
Google is looking to protect Android users from rogue apps with its new security service which is rolling out today to Android devices running on Google Mobile Services 11 or newer.
Google Play Protect is embedded into Google Play, so you don’t have to add or install anything to use it. It is always scanning, always updating, and is very visible when you use the Play Store.
In reality, this system has always been available with Google Play and this is an attempt to make the feature more prominent, giving users a little bit more confidence in using Google Play Services.
Security is a big issue in Android, and this goes a long way to keep users secure in their usage of Google’s platform.
Google Play Protect continuously scans devices to keep them free from potential malware hidden in apps that could attack at any moment.
Play Protect will be built into every device with Google Play and automatically update to keep data safe. You can find Play Protect by going into Settings -> Google -> Security -> Verify Apps. The interface is simple, and lets you know how many apps were recently scanned, when the scan occurred and how everything looks. A big green check mark will greet you if everything looks good. Eventually, this confirmation will be surfaced in the Play Store as well.
All apps go through rigorous security analysis before being published in the Play Store.
Earlier this year a shocking report found 99.9 per cent of malware targets Android devices over Apple phones. More than 50 million apps are scanned every day and the system identifies potentially harmful ones. Using machine learning, the security system can detect if an app is behaving unusually and will remove it if it is raising suspicions.
The security system provides ‘powerful new protections and greater visibility into your device security’, Google said in a blog post.
‘Play Protect is built into every device with Google Play, is always updating, and automatically takes action to keep your data and device safe, so you don’t have to lift a finger.’
Google is also releasing Find My Device as part of the release. This allows users to locate, ring, lock and even erase Android phones, tablets and even watches. The feature is built in and enabled on all devices.
