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Google will protect your phone by looking for sketchy apps you've already installed

Got an Android device with access to Google's Play Store? Congratulations: It's about to become even more resistant to malware, and you'll barely have to lift a finger. You see, for around two years now, the folks in Mountain View have been able to throw up red flags when users try to install apps of questionable provenance on their devices. Now they're taking it a step further -- Google will soon be able to check up on your apps after you've already installed them.

Why? Well, it's possible that you downloaded some sketchy apps before Google's verification feature went live in 2012. A bad app that previously managed to fly under the radar could also be rooted out as Google continues to learn more about mobile malware. Those situations may seem a mite outlandish, and Android Security Engineer Rich Cannings admits that most people won't ever see one of those notifications. Still, there's no denying this is a solid tool to have in the ol' arsenal, and ComputerWorld previously reported that it'll come in the form of an update to Google's Play Services; so devices running Android versions as old as 2.3 should get that added security without a headache.