How Google Play antivirus works and how to disable it. Google Play Protection: built-in antivirus for Android
Android is an open, flexible operating system. Unfortunately, this flexibility comes with more potential security problems. The good news is that Google has a system called Play Protect that helps keep Android secure.
Google Play Protect represents Google's vision of Android security under one name. Play Protect is a multi-component system designed to keep your phone safe from the front and back—it's part malware scanner, part Find My Phone, and part Safe Browsing. However, before we get into the details, here's how to find your device's Play Protect status.
How to find information about Play Protect on your device
If you're interested in finding out what Play Protect does on your device, it's pretty easy to do. Launch Play Store.
Open the Play Store menu and select My Apps & Games. The top option on the My Apps & Games page is the Play Protect status summary. Click on it to find out more.
The Play Protect page displays recently scanned apps, lets you know if it finds anything questionable, and gives you a few options. This is very cool.
Now, here's what this means for you and your phone.
Malware Play Protect scanner keeps your phone free of viruses
The main purpose of Play Protect is to scan for malware. It uses machine learning to scan and review more than 50 billion apps every day - both inside and outside the Play Store.
Basically, in the background, Play Protect's malware scanner checks every app entering the Google Play Store to make sure it's a legitimate app. If something is caught, it is rejected (or removed) from the Play Store.
But Play Protect goes a step further to protect your device even if you download malicious apps. It not only scans apps on the Play Store, but also scans all apps on your phone for malicious activity - no matter where they are installed from. If she finds anything suspicious, you will be notified.
Of course, like any malware scanner, it is not perfect. Some things may slip through the cracks, so you also need to be as smart as possible when installing software.
Play Protect protects your lost or stolen phone
If you feel like you suddenly don't know where your phone is, you can use Play Protect Find My Phone to track your device. Whether it's lost or stolen, you can track your phone's current (or last known) location.
And if you think you won't get your phone back, you can use Find My Phone to remotely lock and wipe your device. This way, you can at least make sure that your personal information will not be accessible to prying eyes.
Play Protect protects you online
Play Protect also seamlessly integrates with Chrome to protect you from online malware. If it detects malicious code on a website, you are alerted and directed back to safety.
This feature should be familiar to anyone who uses the Chrome browser on a computer because it's the same basic concept. Chrome watches for any indicator of suspicious activity and blocks it if anything suspicious happens.
Google has developed a new Google Play Protect app that will regularly monitor your device and provide protection against malicious apps and other threats.
What is Google Play Protection?
It's very simple: Google Play Protection is a new feature that replaces the old app verification feature. The component scans the Android device and provides detailed information about the scans. Google Play Protection does not need to be installed, the component is supplied as part of the Google Play application store.
In fact, Google Play Protection is a built-in antivirus that will ensure data security and smooth operation of the device. Upon release, the feature was integrated into all Android devices.
Google Play Protection always protects your smartphone from malware and is updated automatically. Using machine learning technologies, Google Play Protection can scan 50 million applications per day.
You can access Play Protect by going to Settings > Google > Security > Google Play Protect.
The feature is not limited to scanning apps from Google Play only and also checks apps downloaded from other sources.
If Google Play Protection detects a suspicious application, the component will either disable it or show a warning to the user. The user can view the total number of scanned applications. If no threats are detected, you will see a green icon with a check mark.
Find device
Google also offers Find My Device, which replaces the old Android Device Manager. Android users can quickly wipe all data on a lost device, sound a loud siren, locate the device, and display a message for the person who finds the lost smartphone.
The siren can be used to find a phone that is lost somewhere in the house - no more asking family members to call you. You can also see other Android devices associated with your account.
The updated feature also shows battery charge, last known location, as well as the connected Wi-Fi network. This is a much-needed upgrade from Android Device Manager, which was first launched in 2013. Android users finally have an updated tool.
Safe Browsing
Play Protect also offers a Safe Browsing feature that prevents you from visiting dangerous sites. The site you are trying to access is checked against Google's list of unsafe sites, which is always updated. You will know if a site is safe before you click on a link.
Conclusion
Google Play Protection is a tool that Android users really needed. The capabilities of the new component allow you to maintain the security of your device. What do you think about Play Protection? Share your thoughts in the discussions below.
Security from various types of viruses and malware has always been a major concern for Android users. It's not that the operating system can't protect itself, but Google's developers have generally paid little attention to it. Prior to the solution with the release of security patches every month, as well as the recent introduction of the latest Google Play Protection system. Today we will talk about the latter.
The security platform (originally Google Play Protect) was presented at the annual developer conference Google I/O 2017. This week, a new feature for Android was launched for most smartphones and tablets with this operating system. Under what conditions can you use Google Play Protection, as well as how to enable or disable it, read our article.
What is Google Play Protection
Google Play Protect is an advanced and more well-known version of the Google Verify Apps feature, which has been present on Android devices for a long time (not many people know about it). The main purpose of the Google Play Protection system is several functions that work simultaneously and provide a comprehensive scan of applications and the OS for viruses and various malware. Only now, for powerful and universal protection, artificial intelligence is also used - machine learning with its own algorithms.Essentially, Google Play Protection combines all the well-known security-related features in Android - app verification, safe browsing in the browser, and device search (from Google). Now it all works together under a common name.
Google notes that the new security system for Android scans more than 50 billion applications every day on Android devices around the world. This is hardly a lie, given the number of active Android users (more than 2 billion) and the number of applications available for this mobile platform.
How it works
Although Google carefully checks all applications before publishing them directly on the Play Store, some unobvious malware still penetrates the store and spreads to the devices of a large number of users. In this case, the user himself is responsible for the security of his Android device - he just needs to not “fall for the trick” of the virus.
With Google Play Protection, the company ensures that you are always protected from any virus or malicious application. Google Play Protection is an application scanner that works in real time before installing any program from the Play Store and after it is installed on the device. The antivirus is always active, protecting your smartphone or tablet at any time of the day or night.
Google Play Protection is based on several processes:
- Google Play Protection scans every app you install through the Play Store. A security check runs before booting.
- After installing Google Play Protection, it continues to periodically scan all installed applications on your device to detect any type of malware.
- Google Play Protection checks for updates and new installations from unknown sources.
- Google Play Protection allows you to remotely find, block and erase data from your device.
Enable or disable Google Play Protection
Google Play Security Security is available for devices running Google Play Services version 11 and above, and is enabled by default on your device. To check the version of Google Play Services, go to the Settings application by following the path: Applications → Google Play Services → About the application → Version. If the version number is higher than 11 (for example, 11.3.04), Google Play Protection should be available on your device.
For smartphones and tablets based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and below, Google Play Protection is located at: Settings → Google → Security → Google Play Protection. In Android 7.0/7.1 Nougat Google Play Protection is also present in the Play Store interface. You can open the antivirus settings inside the Play Store application from the menu, as well as from the “My apps and games” page in the updates section.
To enable or disable Google Play Protection, follow these steps:
- Go to your device settings, then open the Google section.
- Scroll down the page and click "Security" under Google Settings.
- Click "Google Play Protection" (this feature may also be called "Verify Apps").
- Enable or disable the Scan for Security Threats feature.
Google Play Protect is Google's built-in malware protection for Android. Relying on the power of Google's machine learning algorithms, it always improves in real time.
Keeping your device safe, 24/7
Google Play Protect works constantly to keep your device, data, and apps safe. It automatically scans your device and ensures you have the latest in mobile security so you can rest easy.
Protect your device even if it's lost
If you've missed your device, Find My Device will get you back.
You can find it by logging into your Google account or even calling directly from your browser. Lock your device remotely or display a message on the lock screen so if someone is detected they know who to contact. Additionally, if you're sure it's lost forever, you can erase all your data.
Scan and review over 50 billion apps every day
All Android apps undergo rigorous security testing before appearing on the Google Play Store.
We review every app and developer on Google Play and suspend those who violate our policies. Play Protect then checks billions of apps every day to make sure everything stays in place. This way, no matter where you download the app, you know it has been verified by Google Play Protect.
Helping you surf on the safe side
With the protection of Safe Browsing in Chrome, you can browse with confidence. If you visit a site that is running out of turn, you are warned and returned to safety.
Google Play Protect or Google Protection is a set of free comprehensive security packages for Android gadgets, powered by a machine learning algorithm, thanks to which it can recognize relatively new virus programs.
Includes analyzing applications for malicious code, protecting the browser from going to a potentially dangerous resource, searching for and blocking lost devices.
Google Protect will help users protect their device and personal data, as well as determine its location in case of theft or loss, blocking access to it if necessary. Some forms of protection in one form or another were already present in the system, some will be new, but in any case, all these tools will be a positive solution for ensuring the security of Android devices.
Key features of Google Protect
The application is endowed by the creators with the following functionality:
- scanning programs from the Play Store for any signs of malware;
- monitoring installed applications from unknown sources for any signs of shadow behavior;
- warning about detected virus codes in programs and uninstalling malicious applications;
- search, block and, if necessary, erase information on the device;
- warning about going to unsafe sites when using the Chrome browser.
You can run the analysis of downloaded software either manually or allow Google Play Protection to carry out this action automatically.
Distinctive features of Google Play Protect
The tool has a number of distinctive features:
- Combining several protection technologies from Google. Will help ensure safety and keep everything under control.
- Work in automatic mode. Regular updates will only improve the functionality provided by the service.
- Remote access at a distance. Sign in using your Google account, call directly from the browser, or message on the lock screen.
- Security and confidence online. When visiting a suspicious site, a warning and return to security.