Google says it stopped more than 1.75 million malicious or policy-violating Android apps from reaching users in 2025. Over 80,000 developer accounts were also banned to prevent repeat abuse.
The company credits stronger, multi-layered protections and AI-powered reviews for discouraging attackers from targeting the Play Store in the first place.
Every app submitted to Google Play now goes through more than 10,000 automated and human safety checks before publication, followed by continuous monitoring after it goes live. Google has also added generative AI models to help reviewers detect complex malware, fraud schemes, hidden subscriptions, and misuse of user data.
Privacy, Reviews, and Child Safety
Beyond blocking malicious apps, Google strengthened privacy and trust controls across the platform.
Key highlights from 2025:
- 1.75+ million apps rejected for malware, fraud, hidden charges, or data misuse
- 80,000+ bad developer accounts banned
- 255,000 apps restricted from accessing excessive sensitive data
- 160 million fake or abusive ratings and reviews blocked
- Extra protections added to prevent children from accessing high-risk apps
Tools like Play Policy Insights and the Data Safety section help developers fix privacy issues before submission, reducing accidental violations.
On-Device Protection with Play Protect
Security doesn’t stop at the Play Store. Google Play Protect now scans over 350 billion apps daily, including sideloaded apps installed outside the store.
In 2025:
- 27 million new malicious sideloaded apps detected
- Expanded fraud protection to 185 markets (2.8+ billion devices)
- 266 million risky installation attempts blocked
- 872,000 high-risk scam apps stopped
- New in-call scam protection prevents users from disabling Play Protect during social-engineering attacks
How Google Strengthened Play Store Security in 2025
Developers made over 20 billion daily integrity checks using the Play Integrity API to protect apps from abuse and spoofing. Hardware-backed security signals and improved account verification are also being expanded, including limited distribution accounts for students and hobbyists.
Looking ahead, Google plans deeper AI integration, stricter verification, and new Android 16 protections such as built-in defenses against tapjacking.
Together, these measures show Google’s broader strategy: block malicious apps at scale, reduce fraud and privacy abuse, and strengthen trust across the Android ecosystem.
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