Google Play Protect
Google blocked over 1.75 million Play Store app submissions in 2025
Spam ratings and inauthentic reviews also represented a significant risk as they can be used to influence user perception of an app. Google says it blocked 160 million ratings last year and prevented an average 0.5-star drop that apps targeted by “review bombing” would otherwise have suffered. Android’s built-in security suite, Play Protect, which now scans […]
Google to flag Android apps with excessive battery use on the Play Store
Google will start taking action on Android apps in the official Google Play store that have high background activity and cause excessive battery draining. Apps that exceed a “bad behavior threshold” may be flagged on Google Play for negatively impacting battery performance and may affect their visibility in the Android ecosystem. Developers have until March 1, 2026, […]
New Android malware uses Microsoft’s .NET MAUI to evade detection
New Android malware campaigns use Microsoft’s cross-platform framework .NET MAUI while disguising as legitimate services to evade detection. The tactic was observed by McAfee’s Mobile Research Team, a member of the App Defense Alliance dedicated to enhancing Android security. Although the apps McAfee observed target users in China and India, uncovering the attacks is important […]
SpyLend Android malware downloaded 100,000 times from Google Play
An Android malware app called SpyLend has been downloaded over 100,000 times from Google Play, where it masqueraded as a financial tool but became a predatory loan app for those in India. The app falls under a group of malicious Android applications called “SpyLoan,” which pretend to be legitimate financial tools or loan services but […]