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Google's safeguard against rogue Android apps is now available
Google is acting on its promise to further guard your Android phone against rogue apps. The company tells us that it's rolling out its Play Protect home screen to every Android device running Google Mobile Services 11 or newer. If you see it (it's in in the Google section of your settings, under Security), you'll know that your device has scanned apps to make sure they're clean. You probably won't need to look at this page very often, but it's there if you're ever wondering whether a sketchy-sounding Play Store app poses a threat.
Android Device Manager has a new name: Find My Device
Since Google introduced Android Device Manager in 2013 it has updated the feature periodically, but the latest change gives it a new name -- Find My Device -- and a few new features. It's now a part of the Google Play Protect service mentioned earlier during I/O, and most Android owners should see an update for it on their devices. The standard features (similar to iOS' Find My iPhone) are still intact with the ability to locate, ring, lock down or wipe your hardware remotely -- you can even Google Search "Find My Phone" to use it -- while it has added information about the current battery level and WiFi network connection. For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.
Android O beta is available to download today
It wouldn't be Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference, without the birth of a new version of Android, would it? 2017 sees the arrival of Android O, an operating system that's not really about flashy, attention-grabbing features. Instead, the software is all about making the user experience much faster and easier, thanks to weirdly named concepts like Fluid Experiences and Vitals.
Google Play protects your Android phone against rogue apps
Your phone's security is more important than ever, and Google knows it. The internet giant is launching Google Play Protect, a suite of services that helps you secure any Android device with Play Store access. The feature scans apps for threats (including relatively new risks, thanks to machine learning) and will either keep these rogue apps off of your device or remove them. It's always updating, and its relatively high visibility (see the image above) promises greater transparency into the security of your Android gear.
