Change everything in the Play Store
Google is clearly on a mission to bring Android closer to the iPhone. Over the past few months, there have been multiple iPhone-like feature announcements, but Android 15 brings us the latest. promise The most comprehensive set of privacy and security updates in a single release.
But one battleground where Android is trailing the iPhone by a long way is app safety and security. Google can’t seem to escape the headlines with its dangerous Play Store appsWhile the excellent Google Play Protect keeps many users safe, the threat is getting worse, but it looks like Google is now serious about eradicating the problem once and for all.
Yes, in Android 15,Live Threat DetectionIt uses on-device AI to analyze behavioral signals related to the use of sensitive permissions and interactions with other apps and services” to quickly flag misbehaviors. But while this reduces the time between an app’s misbehavior and being flagged and removed, it doesn’t address the problem of the app being on the Play Store in the first place.
Google has announced a mass removal of apps from the Play Store. preview And now it has been confirmed that the deadline is just six weeks away: “Google Play is updating its spam and minimum functionality policies to help apps raise the bar for the Play catalog and engage users through quality features and content user experiences.”
Starting August 31, the types of apps Google will target will include “static apps with no app-specific functionality, such as text-only or PDF file apps; apps with little content and a compelling user experience, such as single-wallpaper apps; and apps designed to do nothing or have no functionality.” There are literally millions of such apps, some of which are undoubtedly on your phone.
Google is being smart here and raising the quality bar. Recently, we’ve seen a number of seemingly innocent apps appear on the Play Store that were then used as conduits for other apps that were laced with malware, and more recently, Evil Twin Decoy As for those alternatives.
Low-quality apps are subject to mass removal
Given that most risky apps on the Play Store serve little to no legitimate purpose, this is a great approach to tighten the net. So while app removals are nothing new for Google, this time feels a bit different. There is a growing expectation that popular apps with millions of installs will also be affected by this move, which could potentially weed out legitimate apps with lower quality standards.
Google warns developers that apps “must provide a stable, responsive, and engaging user experience. Apps that crash, don’t provide the basic utility of a mobile app, lack engaging content, or exhibit other behavior inconsistent with a functional and engaging user experience won’t be allowed on Google Play.”
This isn’t the only security-focused change coming to the Play Store from Google. July 17 Policy changes include tougher malware prevention (requiring developers to remove third-party code from providers known to distribute malware, regardless of the code itself), new rules around spyware prevention, and stricter enforcement in general.
This should come as no surprise to developers, who have six weeks to evaluate whether they will comply. Gone are the days when Google encouraged third-party stores and users to sideload apps regardless of their origin. We are fast approaching the day when Play will become as close as possible to Apple’s App Store.
Meanwhile, if you’re still missing low-quality flashlights, horoscopes, PDF and QR code readers, quizzes and the like, now might be the time to stock up.
