Google Play offers a massive collection of apps and games to explore useful and interesting extras for your device.

If something is available on Google Play, users tend to think it's safe. But should you trust everything listed on it? Is the Play Store completely safe?

Here, we will answer those questions and inform you about malicious apps found on the Play Store. You'll also discover tips on staying safe so that you don't accidentally download any dangerous software.

Google Play Store Is Not Entirely Safe from Malicious Apps

While the application approval process for the Play Store has improved over the years, you will still find many apps that are:

  • Poorly designed.
  • Include shady advertisements.
  • Promote some kind of scam campaign.

Every year, security companies find several malicious applications on the Play Store and report it to Google.

Yes, Google Play Protect can help to protect you from malware. But it is not the perfect solution to the problem.

In 2021, for example, Check Point spotted nine dangerous apps that allowed the malware to access users' financial accounts and take control of the phone.

While Google does remove the malicious apps, many bypass Google Play Store's security checks. And that is something you should be concerned about.

Of course, with nearly five million applications available, it is challenging to ensure safety standards for every app.

However, not every user is aware of the fact. So, it is important to note that the Google Play Store cannot be trusted in some cases. So, you need to stay vigilant if you want to avoid installing malware.

Types of Malicious Apps & What They Can Do

Many types of malware spread through apps on the Play Store. While Play Store Protect may detect the common types of malware, attackers sometimes get more creative in bypassing these scans.

Some ways that malicious apps will try to cause you harm, that you should be aware of, are:

  • Compromising the data in your smartphone.
  • Taking control of your device remotely.
  • Extracting personal information without consent.
  • Automatically downloading files without consent.
  • Automatically making calls or sending SMS messages.

In other words, you will find apps that can spy on you, perform ransomware attacks, promote phishing campaigns, and involves diverse types of malware.

Related: Types of Phishing Attacks You Should Know About

Collectively, they can do a great deal of things when your device gets infected. These can include:

  • Display annoying pop-up advertisements even when you are not using any app.
  • Collect your email address and phone number.
  • Read your messages.
  • Extract your contact list information.
  • Redirecting you to malicious sites when browsing online.

Spot Malicious Applications on Your Android Phone

While it is tough to know if the app you installed has infected your device, you can use a few pointers to determine whether or not this is the case.

Here are some common behaviors that could warn you of potential malware:

  • Pop-up ads appear all over your phone screen.
  • Your device is suddenly slower.
  • You find random applications that have been automatically installed.
  • You start getting unofficial emails for a particular app or service.
  • An app begins asking you for unnecessary permissions.

If you notice some of these happening on your phone, you may want to analyze your device for the apps you installed.

Most importantly, you need to look for applications you never installed yourself. Some popular apps may come pre-installed, but to be sure, you need to uninstall any application that you do not need.

You might also want to go through the Android app permissions granted for existing applications.

Ways to Stay Safe from Malware in the Play Store

To ensure that you download only safe applications on the play store, you can follow a few tips. The best of these are below.

1. Update Your Android Operating System

Always make sure that your Android software is up-to-date.

If your Android device is more than two or three years old, and you do not receive any updates anymore, you might want to get a new smartphone that provides security updates for longer.

Samsung can be a desirable choice, since its phones offer four years of security updates.

Related: "System Update" Android Malware Can Steal All Your Device Data

2. Research the App Before Installing

Usually, we tend to install applications in a haste by skimming through the descriptions.

For super-popular apps, you probably don't need to do a lot of research. But if you want to install an app that you know nothing about, basic research is a good idea.

You can start reading the recent reviews on the Play Store, or simply search for the app on any search engine to find any related resources to it.

A higher rating does not necessarily tell you that it is safe. Similarly, a bad rating for an app does not mean that it is bad. So, in some cases, you'll need to use your own judgement.

3. Do Not Install from Unknown Sources

You will find several alternative third-party stores that let you download APK files and install applications.

Most of them, however, are not secure. Fortunately, there are some trusted APK sites out there if you ever need to sideload an app.

4. Do Not Install Fake Apps

No matter how useful you think an app might be, verify if it is the official one that you are installing.

You may end up installing a fake app and share all your details with them.

Related: Fake Android Clubhouse App Steals Thousands of User Credentials

5. Review App Permissions When Installing

If you think an app does not require a permission to function, you can consider revoking it and uninstall the app if it still asks for it to work.

Do note that some applications may require some permissions for certain features—so make sure to reach out to the app developer or research on the Internet to get clarity on that.

Yes, it is often disappointing to find some useful applications asking for unnecessary permissions. But, for the greater good, you may want to find an alternative to that if the app needs sketchy permissions.

Stay Away from Shady Applications on the Play Store

The best way to stay safe from any form of malware is to take a second before taking any action—be it installing an app, entering personal information, or anything else.

It is easy to get overwhelmed with the choices available in the Play Store. Google cannot ensure 100% safety of the apps you use daily, so you should take precautions to make sure you don't download dangerous software.