Google - Play Protect is a malware protection system that comes pre-installed on official Android devices . According to data, during 2019, it blocked more than 1.9 billion malicious app downloads that came from unofficial sources (e.g. third party stores).
In 2017 and 2018, the number of malicious apps detected and blocked was 1.6 billion.
The increased number in 2019 could mean two things. The first scenario is that Play Protect has improved and is more effective at detecting and blocking malware.
The second scenario is that more and more Android users are being tricked and trying to install malicious apps they find outside the Play Store.
Google Play Protect has improved in recent years
The ability to scan and detect malware when downloading non-Google apps was added to Android in May 2017.
Before this addition, many users were installing malicious apps from third-party app stores, as well as from adult sites , gambling sites , etc.
So, Google decided it had to stop this upward trend in downloading malicious apps, and so in May 2017, it launched Play Protect. A new feature protectionthat it placed in the official Play Store app.
In fact, Play Protect comes with a lot of features and functions. Its main function, however, is to provide protection to devices. And the truth is, it is quite effective at that. It works as a built-in program antivirus that have been certified to run official Google apps.
First, Play Protect (regularly) scans all apps installed on an Android device to make sure that updates don't install any malware. It also scans new apps you want to install that come from the Play Store. Finally, it scans apps that come from third-party stores.
In 2017 and 2018, Google said that Play Protect was scanning 50 billion apps per day.
However, in November 2018, Google upgraded it, improving the database of known malware samples.
Thus, it began proactively scanning the entire internet for APK (Android app) files and malicious applications, unlike the previous period, where it passively waited for users to download a malicious program.
Now, Google says the number of apps scanned daily has doubled. Play Protect now scans over 100 billion Android apps per day.
It is expected that its capabilities in detecting and blocking malicious apps will improve further after Google's important step in November 2019. The company is working with ESET, Lookout, and Zimperium to create the App Defense Alliance, a partnership to improve malware detections for the Play Store and Play Protect.
According to Google, Play Protect is currently pre-installed on more than two billion Android devices.
