Google Reveals Play Store Update Before App Deletion Starts August 31

There are just six weeks to run until the start of Google’s drastic Play Store deletion, with thousands of apps expected to disappear. This surprise purge has been badged quality control, but is really all about security. Play Store remains vulnerable to malware, most of which hides within vacuous, low-quality apps. Google’s new sledgehammer is intended to minimize if not totally eradicate the problem.

But with those plans still reverberating around the Android developer community, Google has just revealed some better news for those worried about how their apps will fare, especially when installed from third-party stores or direct. Currently, when Play Store’s Play Protect flags apps on a device as potentially high-risk, users can’t rescan their devices until those apps have been removed. But there’s now a “rescan” button in beta, which will give those apps a second chance.

As reported by Android Authority which found the code, the Play Protect approach “can be annoying in cases where it incorrectly labels an app as harmful and doesn’t let you scan the remaining apps until you uninstall it… With the upcoming Rescan button, you will be able to run another scan without uninstalling potentially harmful apps detected in a previous scan. It will be particularly useful for those who install apps from third-party sources that are often mislabeled as harmful.”

The new option is buried in beta and not available in the current Play Store release. As usual, no word on when this might be seen in the wild—but with Android 15 now imminent, bringing with it many security innovations, it likely won’t be long.

Play Protect is a critical defense for Android users against the scourge of malware targeting the operating system. And while Google can eradicate a significant proportion of dangerous apps making their way onto Play Store with its new low-quality app rules, that won’t stop third-party store and direct app installs doing their worst. Even so, there’s no real substitute to sticking with the official store for downloads. That’s the safer option—now being made even safer by Google’s purge.

As a timely reminder, Android users are recommended to follow these golden rules when it comes to installing apps on your device:

1. Stick to official app stores—don’t use third-party stores and never change your device’s security settings to enable an app to load
2. Ensure Google Play Protect is enabled on your device.
3. Check the developer in the app’s description—is it someone you’d like inside your life? And check the reviews, do they look legitimate or farmed? Avoid the indiscriminate installation of trivial apps you do not need.
4. Do not grant permissions to an app that it should not need: torches and star-gazing apps don’t need access to your contacts and phone. And never grant accessibility permissions that facilitate device control unless you have a need.
5. Never ever click links in emails or messages that directly download apps or updates—always use app stores for installs and updates.