Google's app store is encountering an issue on Android devices that's hampering user experiences.

Google’s malware scanning Play Protect service will now automatically turn off an Android app’s permissions if it’s potentially harmful. The feature is designed to prevent malicious apps from having access to your phone’s storage, photos, camera, and more.

Sam Bright, the lead at Google Play, said the "ultimate goal" is to have Android games and apps work seamlessly across mobile, XR, and TV.

Google’s post recapping Play Store and Android protections in 2024 is live, while highlighting new Play Protect features, like during calls.

Google Play Protect will automatically revoke app permissions for harmful Android apps. In today’s Security Blog, Google mentions that the new feature will prevent malicious app

We’re talking permission abuse, which has always been a serious threat to users. A new report is just the latest “alarming” wake-up call, “uncovering alarming security and privacy concerns.” This latest research has also exposed “hardcoded secrets embedded within some apps… which poses a serious risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.”

Google Play Protect is getting even more powerful, with new features designed to keep your Android device safe from malware and scams. One major update is the ability to automatically disable an app's permissions if it's deemed potentially harmful.

Chinese AI lab DeepSeek's Android app has taken the No. 1 spot on the Google Play Store, days after the chatbot app clinched the top spot on the App Store.

As previously stated, this Verified badge is rolling out for VPNs that are "trusted" for protecting your data. The post adds that VPNs (virtual private networks) like NordVPN, hide.me, and Aloha are among the first to have gone through the necessary hoops to demonstrate a higher level of security/safety.

Google just revealed how many malicious apps Play Protect shielded us from in 2024. It protected us from millions of bad apps.

Before we explore what the Play Store needs to copy from the App Store, let's discuss what it shouldn't. If there's one major way Google can differentiate its app store from Apple's, it's how you discover new apps and games. Right now, the Play Store is so difficult to use that it's easy to completely miss exciting new apps and games.