Google Play Protect

Google Play Protect is the antivirus with which Google protects your Android devices by analyzing if the applications you have download are dangerous.

Google's antivirus that integrates with its services

Google protects Android devices from malicious apps with the antivirus program Google Play Protect, a feature built into what is known as Google Play Services. Its task is to scan downloaded apps, whereby you can run scans whenever you want. You may even have seen a warning message when downloading an app.

Google's protection against installing malware

We can now download Play Protect separately, independent of the Google Play Services app, but we can't really do much with it. Mainly because it seems that the aim of allowing a standalone download is to be able to update the features more easily to make them more flexible (previously this was done when updating the Services app).

So you can download the APK if you want, but you won't be able to see or do much. The antivirus will continue to work as before, so don't worry. But if you want a more attractive option, you can still use apps that complement its functions, such as those from developers of the likes of Kaspersky, AVG or Norton, just to name a few of the most well-known.

Requirements and further information:

• Minimum operating system requirements: Android 9.0.