Google Blocks 2.3 Million Malicious Apps from Play Store in 2024: What You Need to Know

Google blocked an unprecedented 2.36 million app submissions to the Play Store in 2024. These apps were found to violate Google’s security policies, potentially posing risks to Android users worldwide. Google also banned 158,000 developer accounts linked to the distribution of harmful software, including malware and spyware.

A Growing Security Effort

The number of apps rejected in Google’s app screening process increased from 2.280 million in 2023 and 1.5 million in 2022. The number of developer accounts banned for attempting to distribute harmful apps also rose significantly.

A key advancement contributing to these enhanced security measures is the integration of AI, which assisted in 92% of app reviews, enabling faster and more accurate assessments of potentially harmful applications.

"Today, over 92% of our human reviews for harmful apps are AI-assisted, allowing us to take quicker and more accurate action to help prevent harmful apps from becoming available on Google Play," Google stated." That's enabled us to stop more bad apps than ever from reaching users through the Play Store, protecting users from harmful or malicious apps before they can cause any damage."

Beyond blocking harmful apps, Google has taken additional measures to safeguard user data. In 2024 alone:

• 1.3 million apps were prevented from requesting excessive permissions that could have granted them unnecessary access to sensitive user data.
• Google Play Protect, Android’s built-in security suite, received substantial updates, performing real-time, code-level analysis on over 200 billion apps daily to detect and neutralize malware.
• More than 13 million new malware threats were identified from outside the Play Store, emphasizing the risks associated with sideloaded apps.
• App developers received new tools to protect against malicious SDKs, with the Google Play SDK index expanding to include 80 more trusted SDKs.
• The Play Integrity API saw an 80% drop in abuse from untrusted sources, with 91% of app installs utilizing Android’s security and privacy protections.

One of Google’s most notable security measures in 2024 was the expansion of its untrusted APK installation blocking system. Initially launched in Singapore, the feature was rolled out to Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam.

This initiative successfully prevented 36 million attempts to install 200,000 unique apps, stopping these potentially harmful apps from infiltrating 10 million Android devices.

Staying Safe: Best Practices for Android Users

While Google is continuously improving its security, cybercriminals are also evolving their techniques to bypass automated defenses. This is why we recommend users take additional precautions to protect their devices:

1. Download apps only from trusted sources: Avoid sideloading apps from third-party websites. The Play Store has multiple layers of security that help screen out malicious applications.

2. Regularly review app permissions: Check the permissions requested by apps and revoke any unnecessary access to sensitive data, such as contacts, messages, or location.

3. Keep Google Play Protect enabled: Ensure Google Play Protect is activated to scan apps regularly and detect potential threats.

4. Minimize the number of installed apps: Only keep essential apps on your device to reduce exposure to security risks. Don’t forget to delete apps you no longer use.

5. Keep apps and devices updated: Keeping your apps and Android OS up to date ensures that you have the latest security patches and bug fixes.

Enhance Your Protection with Bitdefender Mobile Security

For an added layer of security, consider using Bitdefender Mobile Security. With advanced malware protection, anti-phishing features, and real-time threat detection, Bitdefender helps safeguard your personal data and device from cyber threats.