Google’s Biggest Android Cleanup: Google quietly carried out one of its biggest clean-up drives yet in 2025. To make the Play Store more safer, the tech giant has blocked 1.75 million apps from reaching the Play Store after finding they violated its policies. The crackdown did not stop there. Google also banned nearly 80,000 developer accounts linked to serious or repeated rule-breaking.
Google made this move to send a clear message that user safety comes first. As scams and harmful apps become more sophisticated, Google has relied on smarter AI tools and stricter review systems to stay ahead. The goal is simple to make the Play Store a safer and more trustworthy space for millions of Android users worldwide.
This is one of the company’s biggest clean-up actions in recent years. The move aims to protect users from harmful apps, scams, and privacy risks. With the help of stronger AI tools and stricter review processes, Google is working to ensure a safer and more trusted experience for Android users worldwide. Notably, the Google Play runs more than 10,000 safety checks on every app and continues to check and re-check apps after they are published. (Also Read: Vivo V70 Elite Vs OnePlus 15R Vs Oppo Reno 15: Battery, Performance, Camera and Price in India explained; Which one should you buy in India?)
Add Zee News as a Preferred Source
GenAI tools to review app system
Google added generative AI tools to its app review system to help human reviewers spot harmful and suspicious apps more quickly in 2025. These advanced tools helped the company detect complex threats that might be difficult to find manually.
Google also stopped more than 255,000 apps from getting unnecessary access to sensitive user data. To guide developers, the company introduced tools like Play Policy Insights in Android Studio and improved the Data Safety section, encouraging them to request fewer privacy-sensitive permissions and design apps with users’ safety in mind. Adding further, Google strengthened its anti-spam systems, blocking 160 million fake or manipulated ratings and reviews last year to protect user trust.
Google Play Protect to Make Android Devices Safer
Google also expanded Play Protect to make Android devices safer. Play Protect now scans more than 350 billion apps every day across the Android ecosystem. In 2025, it detected over 27 million new harmful apps that were downloaded from outside the Play Store. When a threat is found, users are warned or the installation is blocked to stop possible damage.
Tech giant also improved its fraud protection system. Now available in 185 markets and covering more than 2.8 billion devices, this feature blocked 266 million risky app installation attempts linked to 872,000 high-risk apps. These steps show Google’s strong focus on protecting users from online threats.
Google’s In-call scam protection
To tackle phone call scams, Google introduced in-call scam protection. This feature stops users from turning off Play Protect while they are on a call. It prevents fraudsters from tricking people into disabling security settings and installing harmful apps on their devices. (Also Read: Meta and WhatsApp challenge CCI Rs 213 crore penalty in privacy policy case; Supreme Court to decide on Feb 23)
New tools for developers and businesses
Google has introduced new tools and systems to support developers and protect their businesses. Apps and games now carry out more than 20 billion daily checks using the Play Integrity API to stop misuse and unauthorized access. With Android 16, developers can secure sensitive information like bank login details using just one line of code.
For some apps, this protection is turned on by default to prevent tapjacking, a trick where harmful screen overlays try to capture what users type. Google plans to expand its AI-powered security tools to help developers build safer and more secure apps going ahead in 2026.
