Verify Apps enforcement

Verify Apps enforcement feature enables Google Play Protect to scan all the apps installed on Android device for harmful software before and after they are installed to ensure that malicious apps cannot compromise corporate data. This setting is optional.

  • IT admins can enforce Verify Apps by default via custom policy. This restricts the user from disabling Google Play Protect to scan and verify apps on the device.
  • IT admins can provide device users an option to turn the setting Scan apps with Play Protect on or off.

Google Play Protect

Google Play Protect helps to keep devices safe and secure.

  • It runs a safety check on apps from the Google Play Store before device user downloads them.
  • It checks the device for potentially harmful apps from other sources.
  • It warns about any detected potentially harmful apps found, and removes known harmful apps from the device.
  • It warns about detected apps that violate Unwanted Software Policy by hiding or misrepresenting important information.
  • It sends privacy alerts about apps that can get user permissions to access personal information, violating Developer Policy.

Custom policy

To verify apps enforcement, as an IT Admin, you can upload a custom policy through WebUI in JSON file format with specific settings, and then deploy this policy on to your Android devices.

  • To view or download a custom policy with required verify apps enforcement policy settings, visit BigFix Wiki at Android Custom Policy Templates and click the desired policy link.
  • For the steps to upload and deploy the custom policy, see Custom policy.

Configuration parameters

To configure verify apps settings, include advancedSecurityOverrides field on a custom policy.
Configuration parameters Definition
googlePlayProtectVerifyApps

Whether Google Play Protect verification is enforced.

Valid values:
  • GOOGLE_PLAY_PROTECT_VERIFY_APPS_UNSPECIFIED: Unspecified. Defaults to VERIFY_APPS_ENFORCED.
  • VERIFY_APPS_ENFORCED: Default. Force-enables app verification.
  • VERIFY_APPS_USER_CHOICE: Allows the user to choose whether to enable app verification.

Sample JSON Code

{
  "advancedSecurityOverrides": {
    "developerSettings": "DEVELOPER_SETTINGS_ALLOWED",
    "untrustedAppsPolicy": "DISALLOW_INSTALL",
    "googlePlayProtectVerifyApps": "VERIFY_APPS_ENFORCED"
  },
  "applications": [
    {
      "packageName": "com.android.chrome",
      "installType": "AVAILABLE"
    }
   ]
}