Android 15 may get new app quarantine security feature: What this means for you

Google’s I/O developer conference is a little under a month away. And we’re super excited about it, bearing in mind how we’re likely to get a glimpse of the first Beta version of Android 15, Google’s latest smartphone operating system.

And we’ve been hearing about loads of upcoming features on the operating system including wireless NFC charging support, satellite connectivity, high-quality webcam modes, partial screen sharing, and more.

And just the other day, reports of another feature that could also be making its way to Android 15 surfaced. Namely, an app quarantine feature. Here’s all you need to know about what it is and how it may work.

App quarantine feature on Android 15: What you need to know

Android, traditionally, has always had Google Play Protect services to scan and flag suspicious apps. However, it isn’t entirely foolproof, and several pirated apps do slip through the cracks. Even if it does detect a potentially harmful app, Play Protect first asks a user if they want to remove the app, warns them of the dangers of not doing so, and blocks it outright.

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However, app quarantine could be a new, added layer of security for your phone, wherein the system will isolate the app and prevent it from causing any harm to your device, while you decide what to do about it. This is very similar to the antivirus software used on laptops and desktops. These software quarantine files if they find that they may be malicious. That is to say, these files are isolated from the rest of the system to prevent them from being used, and therefore, potentially spreading any malware or viruses across the system.

How app quarantine could let you do away with third-party antivirus software

App quarantine could reduce the necessity for third-party antivirus or software on Android devices. When an app is quarantined on the Android operating system, it will remain visible on the user’s home screen launcher and their Settings app. However, it will have several restrictions on it, to prevent any harm it could do to your phone. In essence, then, the new app quarantine feature on Android serves as a middle ground, which allows the system to keep any harmful apps in check, while still giving a user some control over it.

When could users see the feature on their phones?

Now, it is important to bear in mind that it’s still when Google will officially launch the app quarantining feature for the wider Android phone user base. The first signs of this feature were spotted in the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 update back in November 2023. Strangely though, Google removed the developer page for quarantined apps recently.

Moreover, neither have Google Play Store nor Google Play Services requested the QUARANTINE_APPS permission on devices of users of the Beta version yet. This suggests that the feature is still currently under development.

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Therefore, it is a possibility that the feature may not come with the initial Android 15 release, and it could be made part of a later version of the operating system after a few kinks have been ironed out.