Google has released its annual blog post highlighting the latest security measures and statistics from the Google Play Store and Android protections in 2024. The main focus is on improving user safety, particularly during phone calls.
One notable change is that Google Play Protect now scans over 200 billion apps daily, identifying over 13 million new malicious apps from outside the Google Play store. This feature cannot be turned off during traditional phone calls or voice and video calls in popular third-party apps.
To combat social engineering attacks, Google has temporarily removed the ability to turn off Play Protect during calls. The interface now explicitly warns users that disabling app scanning may be a scam to install malicious apps.
Chrome for Android also reminds users to re-enable Play Protect if it has been disabled. Research shows that over 95% of malware installations from major families exploiting sensitive permissions come from internet-sideloding sources like web browsers and messaging apps.
Google has expanded its enhanced fraud protection pilot to several countries, including Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. The pilot aims to shield devices from over 36 million risky installation attempts, covering more than 10 million devices.
Other notable statistics include:
* Prevented 2.36 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play
* Banned over 158,000 bad developer accounts attempting to publish harmful apps
* Blocked 1.3 million apps from getting excessive access to sensitive user data
* Over 91% of app installs now use the latest Android 13 or newer protections
* Apps using Play integrity features see an 80% reduction in usage from unverified sources
These measures aim to protect users and provide a safer experience on the Google Play Store.
Source: https://9to5google.com/2025/01/29/google-play-protect-calls