Google prevented 2.3 million potentially harmful Android apps from entering the Play Store in 2024, citing violations of its policies.
Additionally, the company banned 158,000 developer accounts attempting to distribute malware, spyware, and other dangerous software.
The number of blocked apps has increased compared to 2.28 million in 2023 and 1.5 million in 2022, largely due to AI-assisted human reviews, which played a role in 92% of cases. Google emphasized that AI has significantly improved its ability to detect and stop malicious apps before they reach users.
Beyond blocking bad apps, Google also prevented 1.3 million apps from requesting excessive permissions that could compromise user privacy. Meanwhile, Google Play Protect—Android’s built-in security system—received major upgrades in 2024, scanning over 200 billion apps daily and identifying 13 million new malware threats from third-party sources.
To further enhance security, Google expanded its untrusted APK blocking system—first piloted in Singapore—to 10 more countries, including India, Brazil, and South Africa. This system successfully halted 36 million installation attempts of malicious apps across 10 million devices. While these protections continue to improve, Google advises users to remain cautious, install apps only from trusted sources, and keep Play Protect enabled for maximum security.
