Google has announced a new real-time threat detection service for Google Play apps, called Google Play Protect. This service will notify users if an app is harmful and provide information on what actions to take if a threat is detected. The scanning process looks at app activity patterns to determine if they are malicious, such as hiding behavior or remaining dormant before activating harmful features.
Initially, Google Play Protect will focus on detecting stalkerware, which collects personal or sensitive data without user consent. Google may expand detection to other types of apps in the future. Like the recently announced Scam Detection for Pixel phones, all detection processes are performed on-device to protect user privacy.
Live threat detection is currently available on Pixel 6 and newer devices through Google Play Protect. This new feature is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance security for its users.