Google Reports Significant Drop in Malicious Apps on Play Store

Google has reported a notable reduction in malicious applications targeting Google Play. The company attributes this positive trend to increased investments in proactive security systems and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Google is crediting its enhanced security measures and AI technology for a significant decrease in malicious applications targeting the Play Store.

Key Statistics Highlight Enhanced Safety

In its latest Android app ecosystem safety report, Google provided encouraging figures:

• Google prevented 1.75 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play in 2025. This figure marks a notable decrease from 2.36 million in 2024 and 2.28 million in 2023.
• The company also banned over 80,000 developer accounts in 2025 that attempted to publish such applications. This is a substantial reduction from 158,000 in 2024 and 333,000 in 2023.
• Additionally, Google prevented more than 255,000 apps from gaining excessive access to sensitive user data, a significant reduction from 1.3 million in 2024.

AI and Robust Security Measures Drive Reduction

Google credits several initiatives for strengthening the Google Play ecosystem. These include developer verification, mandatory pre-review checks, and stringent testing requirements.

The company's AI-powered, multi-layer protections are specifically cited as a key deterrent against malicious app publication. Google conducts over 10,000 safety checks on every app published and continuously rechecks apps post-publication.

The integration of generative AI models into the app review process is reported to assist human reviewers in identifying complex malicious patterns more rapidly.

Looking ahead, Google plans to further increase AI investments in 2026 to continue improving its security capabilities.

Broader Android Ecosystem Protection

Beyond the Play Store, Google Play Protect, Android's defense system, identified over 27 million new malicious apps last year, either warning users or blocking their execution.

This marks a significant increase from 13 million non-Play Store apps identified in 2024 and five million in 2023. This trend suggests a potential shift where malicious actors are increasingly targeting users with apps outside the Play Store.

In other efforts, Google also blocked 160 million spam ratings and reviews last year. This action mitigated an average 0.5-star rating drop for apps affected by review bombing, maintaining a fairer representation of app quality.