Announced at I/O 2017, Google Play Protect is essentially a rebrand of the company’s existing suite of security services for Android devices. In a statement, Google notes that it is beginning to rollout today in the Play Services app and coming soon to the Play Store.
Compared to the existing protections, Play Protect makes itself much more apparent to users and better highlights the security it is providing.
The Verify Apps feature long available in Google Play Services has now been rebranded with the Protect branding on version 11 and above. Accessible by heading to Settings > Google > Security > Verify Apps, it features a brief summary of how the feature works, a list of recently scanned apps, and a toggle to disable it entirely.
Google Play Protect regularly checks your apps and devices for harmful behavior.
You’ll be notified of any security risks found.
Meanwhile, the Play Protect status located in the Updates section of the Play Store is still rolling out. As shown at I/O, it will feature a button to initiate a manual rescan of installed apps, in addition to the last scan time. Individual app listings will soon also include a “Verified by Google Play Protect” badge for additional reassurance.
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