Before Disabling Google Play Protect, Here’s What You Should Know

Google launched Play Protect in 2017 to serve as a free, built-in security program for your Android device. Your first line of defense, there to protect you from malicious apps even if you don’t have a third-party antivirus installed. The company said Play Protect detected more than 27 million malicious apps by 2025 and warned users about them or blocked them from running.

Play Protect doesn’t just scan apps from the Google Play Store before you download them; it also scans your device for malware and other potentially harmful programs that you may have found elsewhere. It will send you privacy warnings about apps that can access your personal information, and it will warn you about deceptive apps, such as those that fall back on another app’s installation or hide their true function.

When you sideload apps, Play Protect will alert you if you might be downloading malicious files or prevent you from installing them altogether. It may also disable or automatically remove apps from your device. Google said the program blocked 266 million attempts to sideload malicious apps by 2025.

Of course, those last few features are not popular with people who want the freedom to be able to install whatever they want on their Android devices. If you feel that way and would like to disable Play Protect, we’ll walk you through the steps shortly. Note that you will lose the protections it provides if you do so. You will have a higher chance of being infected with malware, as you will no longer be able to receive warnings about suspicious apps you download, especially if you don’t have a third-party anti-malware program. And you will be at high risk of installing apps that can steal your sensitive information.

Before we continue, you should know that there are situations where you may be prevented from disabling Play Protect. If you have a Google account managed by your school or workplace and can’t find a way to disable it, the administrator may have limited your ability to disable security features.

You won’t be able to turn it off if you’re signed up for Google’s Advanced Security Program, either. That’s the company’s highest level of security designed specifically for users who are at high risk of targeted attacks, such as journalists, activists, celebrities and people working on political campaigns.

You should also know that there have been reports of Google removing side-loaded apps it deems dangerous anyway, even if Play Protect is turned off. All that said, it’s very easy to turn off the feature.

Screenshot by Mariella Moon (Google)

1. On your Android phone, go to the Google Play Store.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner of the Google Play Store interface.
3. Scroll down and tap the Play Protect option. In this interface, you will see when the feature last scanned your apps.
4. Click the settings gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
5. Toggle off “Scan apps with Play Protect.”

On that last screen, you can also turn the “Enhance malicious app detection” feature on or off. If this is turned on, your account automatically sends apps you download outside the Google Play Store to Google, so they can be checked for malware or any suspicious behavior.

If you’re signed up for Google Advanced Security, you’ll need to disable it first:

1. Sign in to your Google account in the browser and go to the Security and sign-in menu.
2. Find “Advanced Security” and select “Unsubscribe.”

You may need to restart your device and wait a while before Advanced Protection stops working and you can disable Play Protect.