Google has announced that it is beginning to roll out the Play Protect feature via Play Services and it will be coming soon to the Play Store as well.

Google Play Protect was announced at I/O 2017 earlier this year. It is basically a revamped version of the company’s existing suite of security services for Android devices. Compared to the existing one, Play Protect makes itself much better with the security it is providing.

The Verify Apps feature was long available in Google Play Services. It has now been rebranded with the Play Protect name on Play Services version 11 and above. Now, Google is aiming to bring Verify Apps feature in the Play Store.

What is Play Protect?

Play Protect is a background app check service that makes sure you don’t have any suspicious software or app installed on your device. Earlier in February, it started displaying the apps that it had scanned.

It can be accessed by going to Settings -> Google -> Security -> Verify Apps. It will display a Play Protect screen.

Google Play Protect works in the background to keep your device safe. Along with scanning, it is also constantly improving to make sure that you have the latest security features.

How to protect your device from harmful apps?

First of all, make sure that you’re downloading all the apps from Google Play Store and other trusted resources. Google Play Protect scans all apps for malware before and after you install them. It is now automatically enabled on your device.

Meanwhile, the Play Protect feature in the Updates section of the Play Store is still being rolled out. It will feature a button to initiate a manual scan of installed apps. Also, the app listings on play store will include a “Verified by Google Play Protect” badge for further reassurance.

The new Verify Apps screen hasn’t changed a lot from the previous one. It has added a short description of what it does and a “Looks good“ checkmark. The toggles and the recently scanned apps sections are same as before.