Live threat detection was one of the standouts when Android 15 was trailed earlier this year. Using on-device AI, the idea is that users will be warned in real time if an app is exhibiting potentially malicious behavior, before it’s flagged across the board by Play Protect.

B ack in July, Google invited myself and other members of the press to an event centered around the Play Store. In addition to showcasing its new Collections widget, much of the d

Reports of issues with Google Play have been spiking since late morning. Some users describe problems with updates, while others can’t download apps in the first place. Not everyone appears to be experiencing these errors.

Google can’t really have it both ways—either Play Protect is critical or it isn’t. It’s the default response from Google when new malware strikes, telling users to make sure it’s enabled. That protection falls away if it’s seen as the norm to disable it when an app can’t get through. How then does a user know what is dangerous and what isn’t.

M obile games have come a long way since the early days of smartphones and that’s a good thing for those who love to play games on the go. While it’s nice to sit in front of a

Live threat detection analyzes app behavior in real time, examining how apps use sensitive permissions and interact with other apps and services on the device. This active monitoring lets Google Play Protect identify potentially harmful apps that may attempt to conceal malicious behavior or remain inactive for a period before engaging in suspicious activity.

Google is bringing real-time alerts to Pixel devices that will notify you whenever a dangerous app is detected on your device.