One thing that usually scares us a lot is that the security of our smartphones could be compromised by the presence of a virus. And one of the ways for malware to reach our mobile is through the installation of applications. To avoid this type of problem, Google launched Play Protect, a system that performs an analysis on our device to avoid possible problems that may arise.
Of course, if you do not like this system, you have the option to deactivate it. And it is a fully reversible process, so you can re-activate it in case you regret it. Therefore, what we are going to do in this article is to explain how we can activate and deactivate this mode. It is a very simple process but not very intuitive, so it is interesting to know how to do it step by step.
How to deactivate Play Protect
Play Protect is enabled by default, but you can disable it at any time by following these steps. First, on your smartphone, go to the Play Store. At the top right, tap on the icon with your profile picture.
Tap on your profile picture
Tap on Play Protect.
Press on Play Protect
In the next window, tap on the wheel in the upper right-hand corner
Press the cogwheel
Deactivate the two tabs that are activated by default
Disable the tabs
When deactivating, a message will appear asking for confirmation that you want to deactivate application scanning. Tap on Turn off
Confirm the deactivation
Now, Play Protect will be disabled and Google will not scan the apps you have installed on your smartphone. Before disabling Google Play Protect, make sure that your device is protected against all types of software threats through other mechanisms. Note that this tool helps to keep your cellphone or tablet protected. Some of its functions include checking if the apps you want to install through Google Play Store are safe before you download them. In addition, it also warns you if there are applications on the device that could be harmful and can even delete some of them for safety. Likewise, it checks your device for any applications from other sources that could be dangerous or malicious software. To do this, Play Protect stops the app that may be harmful and then sends you a notification or deletes it automatically.
How to activate Play Protect
If after deactivating this protection system, you regret it, the process to reactivate it is very similar to the previous one. You will have to follow the same steps, but in the Play Protect settings, you will see that both tabs are disabled. Swipe over them again to activate them again.
Enable the tabs
Once this is done, your phone will be protected again and the applications will be periodically scanned for possible problems.
