Google’s operating system for mobile devices, Android , has had major security problems throughout its history. But Google has tried to deal with risks for users in many ways, and one of them is Google Play Protect. Now what exactly is it, and how is it responsible for protecting users? This natively integrated automatic security system does the job ‘quietly’ for the user.
Google Play Protect is a security system. It was initially launched in 2017. Previously, the Mountain View company had been offering Android users the ‘ App Verification’ app, as a standalone app, and that year was when it was redesigned and implemented, like Google Play. Protect, within the app store itself. Because, as a system, it is made up of various technologies. One of them integrated into the app store and that automatically scans all apps for malware; another that is integrated into Google Chrome analyzing the behavior of websites and blocking, if appropriate, their activity.
Google Play Protect is not just an ‘antivirus’ for Android mobiles
And in addition to this, it also has ‘Find my device’ , which is used to remotely locate a lost device , with remote formatting options. The key, in Google Play Protect, is that it is a comprehensive security system that is available both in the Android operating system and in Google applications and services. And that it has machine learning and Artificial Intelligence for constant evolution and, of course, regular updates that constantly increase the security it offers users.
Although Google Play Protect works automatically, users can access the system by opening the Google Play Store application and clicking on the menu button, located in the upper left corner. This is where Play Protect is available, which allows us to run a scan for malware manually and on all the applications that are installed in the memory of our smartphone. However, the default configuration of the system already makes the analysis run periodically and without having to do anything.
Also, in Settings, we can go to the Google section and, in Security, we will find the direct access to the application status check. However, this access takes us to exactly the same place as if we do it through the Google Play Store itself.
