Google is implementing a new security feature in Android that will allow services like Google Play Protect to quarantine apps suspected of malicious activities, protecting devices from potential risks. Google Play Protect was launched in 2017 as a native Android security solution integrated into the Play Store. This tool analyzes applications downloaded from the store to prevent malware and provide navigation protection.
The Play Store ensures the download of safe applications and informs users if their device is free from malicious content. When Play Protect detects an app with suspicious behavior, it notifies the user to delete it or automatically removes it. In Android 15, Google plans to introduce a new security option that will quarantine apps with suspected malicious activity, isolating them from the system to prevent any malware execution without needing to uninstall them.
Android analyst Mishaal Rahman announced this quarantine feature, which was first seen in Android 14 QR2 Beta 1. The feature flag enabling OS-level support for app quarantining remains present, allowing security tools like Play Protect to proactively isolate apps showing potential suspicious behavior. Apps in quarantine will still be visible on the home screen and device settings but will have limitations, like hidden windows and halted activities.
The quarantine option works similarly to app suspension or disablement, restricting an app’s notifications, system links, and interactions with other applications. While still in development, this feature might be available in Android 15’s future versions.