Over the last year this campaign has reached new heights, with a cull of higher-risk Play Store apps, the promise of live threat detection, and a raft of new features dropping with Android 15. But Google’s latest update is a surprise and will leave users and their phones at serious risk.

With interest in Android-based XR headsets on the rise, the Play Store appears to be getting ready to support apps built for them.

Google is working on a feature that will allow users to temporarily pause Play Protect, Android's built-in security scanner. The feature could not only make sideloading easier but also keep your device protected in the long run.