Google to Ramp Up Android Security With New Features for App Developers

Google has announced several new measures aimed at combating malicious apps, fraudulent and deceptive apps on the Play Store. The company also says it will make it easier for developers to submit apps using pre-review checks, while improving the Play Integrity API to preventing the spread of harmful apps outside the company's app store. Google says it will also expand its live threat detection feature to identify applications designed to impersonate financial apps, and introduce new badges to provide validation for specific app categories on the Play Store.

Google to Expand, Enhance Play Integrity API for More Users

The company states that it will strengthen the Play Integrity API, which is used to protect users from malicious apps installed from third party sources, and developers from modified apps designed for fraud and data theft. Google is also working on tools that developers can utilise to prompt users to update their app or remove an unofficial, modified version of their Android application.

Google Play Protect live threat detection is being expanded to identify malicious applications that masquerade as legitimate financial apps. Meanwhile, the company is also bringing Enhanced Financial Fraud Protection to more regions, after testing it in countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Developers will soon have access to even more pre-review checks before submitting their application for review, according to Google. Currently, developers check if their app listing includes privacy policy links and other requirements, which can expedite the process of having their app reviewed by Google. Developers will also see notifications about certain policies while coding in Android Studio.

Over the past year, the company introduced two "badges" for certain apps on the Play Store. Official government apps and security focussed VPN apps get additional validation, via "Government" and "Verified" badges, respectively. Google says more badges will be added in the future, to cover additional app categories.

Google claims that its security measures (including AI-powered threat detection) and stricter enforcement of privacy policies helped it block 2.36 million apps that would have violated policies on the Play Store. The firm says that it found over 50 times more Android malware from third party sources (which includes sideloading) compared to the Play Store, as per its latest analysis, highlighting the risks of installing Android apps from unknown sources.