Google has always maintained that its own Play Store security mechanisms were strong enough to keep your devices safe from malware and other bad actors, but this was proven wrong again and again and again. Thus it makes sense that the company has announced the App Defense Alliance, a partnership with ESET, Lookout, and Zimperium that aims to stop bad apps before they can reach anyone's Android devices.
Read MoreGoogle Play Protect now scans more apps every day than there are people on Earth
Google Play Protect is just about two years old, as it was introduced at I/O 2017. The tool scans all applications installed on your phone for identified malware— whether they are from the Play Store or from a sideloaded APK. At Google I/O 2019, it was revealed that Play Protect now scans 50 billion applications each day.
Read MorePlay Store tests simultaneous downloads, internal app sharing, more
The Play Store is a breeding ground for Google's A/B tests. Every couple of days, the app shows different interfaces and options for some users, and it's tough to stay on top of them all. Recently, the Play Store started showing a dedicated Events tab for gaming, rolling out Pixel updates on Android Q, and we know it's working on a Material Design revamp. But there's much more in the works. In the past couple of days, app updates started behaving a little weirdly for some users, with the most important sign being the appearance of simultaneous downloads.
Read MoreGoogle bans 29 beauty camera apps from the Play Store that steal your photos
Security firm Trend Micro has discovered 29 malicious beauty camera apps that aim to phish user traffic and steal your photos. The apps have already been removed by Google from the Play Store, but only after accumulating millions of downloads.
Once installed, some of the apps would load up full-screen advertisements for fraudulent or pornographic content each time the device is unlocked, and some of the apps would forward users to phishing websites to steal their personal information.
Read MorePopular
14
(Update: Removed from Play Store) Shady app lets stalkers view private Instagram accounts in exchange for their own data
33
(Update: Maps Go Navigation too) Google Go and Maps Go reach 100 million Play Store installs, hinting at decent Android Go sales
Power Shade and Material Notification Shade removed from the Play Store — Google says malicious, developer responds coyly
From time to time we come across a story of an app being removed from the Play Store unjustly and the developer getting frustrated with the lack of warning or communication, and more frustratingly, the absence of a valid reason. The case of popular apps Power Shade (500K installs) and Material Notification Shade (1M+ installs) has proven to be a little different though, and possibly more head-scratching than that.
Read MoreAptoide gains injunction against Google in latest antitrust case, compensation could follow
Google's legal troubles in Europe continue as a European Commission court has accepted an injunction filed by alternative app store Aptoide. The antitrust complaint came after Google used Play Protect to warn users that Aptoide was potentially harmful.
Read MoreUpdate Notes for Photos, Play Store, Keep Notes, and more (October 8th, 2018)
Every week, I examine somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred app updates while looking for changes. The most interesting things turn into APK Teardowns or Download posts. Many of the remaining updates are unremarkable, amounting to a few bug fixes, routine updates to libraries, or even just pixel-level adjustments to layouts and images. However, there are usually a few updates that land somewhere in between. I don't want to spam readers with dozens of short posts, but I hate to ignore things that people might want to know about, so I'm going to wrap up the leftovers for a little weekend reading and call it Update Notes.
Read MoreWith over 50 billion apps scanned daily, Google’s Play Protect removed 39 million 'Potentially Harmful Apps' in 2017
Today Google has released its 4th annual so-called "Android security year in review," a number-heavy report meant to demonstrate the improvements made over the last year when it comes to security. And it's not just ego-stroking, Android made great strides during 2017 on the subject. From the launch of Play Protect to increased distribution of security patches, Android as a platform has never been more secure.
Read MoreGoogle's Play Protect didn't catch obfuscated malware with up to 20 million installs on the Play Store
At this year's I/O, Google announced Play Protect, a user-facing security screening process for apps on Android phones based on the old Verify Apps. Basically, it scans apps you install, comparing their content against known malware components, and notifies you if any potential risks are found. And it turns out, it's not infallible, as an older "packed" malware package was able to trick it.
Read MorePlay Protect's scanning starts showing up for users in the Play Store
Play Protect, the fancy reincarnation of Verify Apps that promises to make app scanning and malware detection more visible to users, has been promised since Google I/O but it took a while for it to start showing up. First, we noticed that the Verify Apps security setting was changed to Play Protect, but that is a buried menu that few people would often run into. Now, the more user-facing aspect is starting to show up in the Play Store.
If you head over to the My apps & games section in the Play Store, you might see the new Play Protect banner on top of all your available and recent updates.
Read MoreLatest Deals
-
39
Amazon announces gargantuan list of Black Friday deals (Update x2: More items)
-
0
24 temporarily free and 33 on-sale apps and games for the weekend
-
2
Pick up the Aukey PA-WL01 all-in-one charging station for $120 ($30 off) with coupon
-
14
Grab a new Moto G6 for an all-time low price of $120 ($130 off) on Amazon and B&H
-
0
Keep an eye on your home in 4K with a three-camera Arlo Ultra bundle for $710 ($90 off)
-
39
Latest Poll
Loading ...Recent Reviews
-
36
Fossil Hybrid HR review: This hybrid smartwatch is off to a rough start
-
120
OnePlus 7T Pro review: The best OnePlus phone, but not the one you should buy
-
213
Google Stadia review: This could be big
-
5
TP-Link Kasa Smart Light Strip review: Voice-controlled RGB lights for your furniture
-
10
LG G8X ThinQ with Dual Screen review: A different way to fold, with trade-offs all its own
-
36
Latest Roundups
-
1
22 new Android games from the week of November 11, 2019: Minecraft Earth, Romancing SaGa 3, and Il Filo Conduttore
-
3
17 new and notable Android apps from the last three weeks including Disney+, Spotify Kids, and Stadia (10/26/19 - 11/16/19)
-
10
39 new Android games from the week of November 4, 2019: Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs, Soul Chase: Another World, and The Quest - Basilisk's Eye
-
5
26 new Android games from the week of October 21: The King of Fighters ALLSTAR, ROME: Total War - Alexander, and The Swords of Ditto
-
7
18 new and notable Android apps and live wallpapers from the last week including Walmart InHome Delivery, many Digital Wellbeing Experiments, and ZenKey Powered by T-Mobile (10/19/19 - 10/26/19)
-
1
Recent Apps and Games
-
0
Adobe Acrobat Reader passes 500 million installs on the Play Store
-
0
24 temporarily free and 33 on-sale apps and games for the weekend
-
3
Undead Horde is an enjoyable hack-and-slash game that just arrived on Android
-
14
New Google Camera mod by cstark27 lets you force astro and light painting modes, brings tons of tweaks [APK Download]
-
6
Call of Duty: Mobile update adding controller support, zombie mode, and more
-
0
Blast from the Past
-
2
1 Year Ago Today
These Ring and Nest doorbell bundles from Costco come with a year of free video cloud service
-
76
2 Years Ago Today
T-Mobile quietly launches LTE CellSpot V2 and Signal Booster Duo
-
141
3 Years Ago Today
Android 7.1 developer preview 2 images are live for the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and Pixel C [Update: Nexus 9]
-
57
4 Years Ago Today
Nexus 6 Owners On T-Mobile Are Finally Getting An Over-The-Air Update To Marshmallow
-
223
5 Years Ago Today
[Updated: US Cellular Info] PSA: CDMA Carriers Probably Won't Activate Your Nexus 6 Unless It Was Purchased From Google Play Or That Carrier (And What You Can Do About It)
-
13
6 Years Ago Today
Turntable.fm Is Shutting Down, Team Will Focus On New Turntable Live Concert Platform
-
1548
7 Years Ago Today
[Update: Winner!] Giveaway: Win A 16GB Nexus 10 From Android Police And Sortable
-
28
8 Years Ago Today
Samsung Knocks Apple's Cult Following In New Ad, Tells Customers "The Next Big Thing Is Already Here"
-
3
9 Years Ago Today
T-Mobile Announces A Buy One, Get One Free Holiday Smartphone Promotion
-
2
