Google Play Protect has received a security upgrade, according to Google. The business will provide Android users with real-time notifications and realtime danger detection.
Though initially targeted, the threat detection capability continuously scans devices for malware and dangerous apps. With ambitions to extend detection to additional dangerous app types, the initial release focuses on stalkerware, software that gathers personal information without the user’s consent. Real-time app behavior analysis is done by live threat detection, which looks at how programs use private rights and communicate with other apps and services on the device.
Google Play Protect is able to detect potentially dangerous apps that might try to hide malicious activities or go dormant for a while before acting suspiciously thanks to this ongoing monitoring. If a malicious app or scam call is identified, users may take prompt action to safeguard their data and devices thanks to the real-time notifications.
The new realtime threat detection goes well beyond the standard app scanning method, which concentrates on finding known harmful code signatures. By using this method, the service is able to identify dangerous apps that may not have been identified in conventional databases yet but display questionable patterns of activity. Google can more successfully detect and eliminate risks by concentrating on real-time activity, but privacy is a major concern.
Google processes threat detection locally on the device using its Private Compute Core technology. By doing this, user data is protected from being transferred to Google servers and remains on the device. It appears as though the user’s device—rather than an external server—is performing the work. This greatly improves user privacy, but if Google maintains a list of the apps that require flagging, it will probably transfer some data to its servers.
Pixel 6 and later devices are the first to offer live threat detection. In the upcoming months, Google intends to make devices from other manufacturers available as well.