- Google says it blocked 1.75 million apps and 80,000 incorrect developer accounts in 2025
- Play Protect analyzed 350 billion apps daily and detected 27 million malicious apps outside the Play Store
- GenAI models boosted the app review process and found complex malicious patterns faster
Google has revealed that it rejected 1.75 million apps from the Play Store for violating its policies in 2025, in addition to banning more than 80,000 “bad developer accounts” seeking to publish harmful apps and blocking 255,000 apps from accessing sensitive user data.
In its annual review of Android and Google Play security, the company said initiatives such as developer verification, mandatory pre-checks, and testing requirements “significantly reduced” avenues of entry for bad actors and have “raised the bar” for the Google Play ecosystem.
Throughout 2025, Google Play performed more than 10,000 security checks on every app that was published, and these security checks continue even after apps are published.
Block spam ratings and reviews
Following the trends, Google also said it integrated the latest Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) models into its review process, but kept humans on board, who can now find complex malicious patterns faster.
“Our commitment to privacy-oriented app development, supported by tools like Play Policy Insights in Android Studio and the data security section, has allowed developers to continue to minimize privacy-sensitive permission requests and put the user first in their design choices,” Google said.
The company also worked to block spam ratings and reviews, and its anti-spam protections blocked 160 million spam ratings and reviews last year (including inflated and deflated reviews). Average rating drops of 0.5 stars were also avoided for apps targeted by the review bombing.
Finally, Google said that Play Protect, its built-in anti-malware solution for Android, now scans more than 350 billion Android apps every day. In 2025, the tool identified more than 27 million new malicious apps outside the Google Play ecosystem and warned users about them.
Looking ahead, Google said it will continue to invest in AI-powered defenses and implement Android developer checks to “hold bad actors accountable” and prevent them from hiding behind anonymity.
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