Google Rolls Out Advanced Hacker Protection for 3 Billion Android Users

In a major step to strengthen mobile security, Google has introduced a new set of protections aimed at its 3 billion Android users, particularly those at high risk of being targeted by cyberattacks.

Unveiled in a July 8 blog post by the Google Chrome Security Team, the new feature—called Advanced Protection on Android—builds on Google’s existing Advanced Protection Program (APP). This expansion brings device-level security controls to Android users, designed to block both broad, low-level malware attacks and more sophisticated, targeted exploits.

What Is Advanced Protection on Android?

At its core, Advanced Protection on Android serves as a centralized security setting that automatically activates enhanced protections for Chrome and other Google services on Android devices.

“It’s a single control point for at-risk users on Android,” Google explained, “that enables important security settings across applications.”

The system was developed by Google security engineers David Adrian, Javier Castro, and Peter Kotwicz, and integrates directly with Chrome in three critical ways:

• Secure Connections Always On: Forces HTTPS connections by default, preventing attackers from injecting malicious content or snooping on user data.
• Full Site Isolation: Keeps websites in separate memory spaces, protecting against malicious sites attempting to hijack browser processes. (Note: This requires devices with at least 4GB of RAM.)
• Reduced Attack Surface: Disables certain JavaScript optimizations that hackers may exploit, limiting the browser’s exposure to complex threats.

Why This Matters: Protecting the Vulnerable at Scale

Google’s security team emphasized that while mass-market malware poses serious risks, targeted attacks are also on the rise, especially against activists, journalists, dissidents, and high-profile professionals.

“Less sophisticated attacks by commodity malware can be very lucrative for attackers when done at scale,” the team noted, “but so can sophisticated attacks on targeted users.”

This new layer of Android protection is meant to give those at elevated risk more control over their security posture, without needing to manually configure each defense individually.

A Push Toward Phishing-Resistant Authentication

To further boost account security, Google recommends that users enrolled in Advanced Protection also:

• Use phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication methods, like security keys
• Enable Advanced Protection for their Google accounts, which ties into their Android device security

These features are available to anyone, but are especially recommended for users who may be political targets, investigative reporters, or individuals facing elevated digital threats.

Security for the Masses, With Customization for the Few

While the vast Android ecosystem has long been a tempting target for cybercriminals, Google’s latest move signals a growing commitment to proactive, user-tailored defense mechanisms.

By combining network-level security, browser hardening, and phishing-resistant tools, the Advanced Protection features represent one of the most comprehensive security upgrades to Android in recent years.