Android has had problems in the past with malicious applications Climbing up to the Google Play StoreWhen that happens, users could unknowingly install those apps and create big problems. Malware, Data kidnappingTrojans… whatever, it’s possible.
No verification process is perfect, but those malicious apps usually exist on the Play Store only for a short time. That doesn’t mean everyone is safe. You may be the only person who has installed a malicious app, but that’s still one more person.
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Fortunately, your Android device can run manual scans for malicious apps. I’ve used this feature quite often. The only time the feature found anything malicious was when I ran a test scan after intentionally installing a questionable app from outside the Play Store. It worked, and then I deleted the app.
However, I don’t recommend trying to perform that test. The phone I used was not associated with my personal Google account and had been restored to factory settings. However, the good news is that the feature works and you should use it manually on a regular basis.
Let me show you how.
How to run a manual scan on Android
What you will need: All you need is an updated Android device associated with a valid Google account.
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That’s all. Let’s move on to the scan.
The first thing you need to do is unlock your Android device.
On your Android device, open the Google Play Store app. Once open, tap your profile icon at the top right of the window, then tap Play Protect in the pop-up window.
You can also access the Application/Device Manager from this page.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
In the Play Protect window, you’ll likely see “No harmful apps found” and the time the last scan ran. When Play Protect finds something it thinks is malicious, depending on the severity of what the app can do, it will disable or remove it.
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To start the scan, tap Scan. The scan will begin and analyze all the apps you have installed. Depending on the number of apps you have, the scan should take less than a minute. With over 150 apps on my device (including system apps), the scan took about 20 seconds. If Play Protect finds anything malicious on your device, it will automatically fix the problem.
My Pixel 8 Pro was last scanned at 2:20 am
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
You’re unlikely to encounter a malicious app on your Android device, as long as you’re careful about what you install from the Play Store and never install apps outside of the official app store. Still, I’m relieved to know that I can trigger a scan whenever I want and that Play Protect is very good at what it does.