Android 15 update might bring a quarantine feature for suspicious apps on your Pixel phone

While Google Play Protect strives to be a vigilant guardian against malicious applications, even the most robust security software can have its limitations. In the upcoming Android 15 update, a new quarantine feature is being explored as per Android Authority that offers a more nuanced approach to dealing with problematic apps on your Pixel phone.

The concept of quarantine, familiar to those who use antivirus software on platforms such as Windows, involves isolating suspect software to prevent any potentially damaging activity. Quarantined files are effectively incapacitated, unable to execute or affect the system adversely.

Android 15’s app quarantining functionality is expected to operate in a similar fashion. Upon being quarantined, an app will undergo a significant shift in behavior.

• It remains visible on the home screen launcher and within Android settings, yet it is significantly restricted.
• Notifications generated by the app are suppressed.
• All active windows or activities from the app are halted immediately.
• The app cannot initiate ringing or make noise through the device.
• It is blocked from binding with or receiving broadcasts from both the system and other apps.
• Other apps cannot query its services, and it becomes invisible in intent disambiguation dialogs.

This quarantine state renders the app largely inert, similar yet distinct from having an app disabled or suspended. Unlike disabled apps, quarantined apps retain their presence in the launcher, signaling their availability but restricted status to the user.

The implementation of app quarantine leverages existing Android APIs traditionally used for suspending apps, albeit with a crucial modification. An additional flag, specific to the quarantine function, is integrated during the execution of these commands. Throughout its developmental stages, this feature was initially accessible to system apps granted the SUSPEND_APPS permission.

However, this has been refined to necessitate the new QUARANTINE_APPS permission, ensuring a more secure and controlled environment. This specific permission is exclusive to system verifier applications or those signed with the same certificate as the operating system itself. Consequently, only trusted entities like Play Protect will have the capacity to quarantine apps.

The precise timeline for the rollout of this feature remains uncertain. Mishaal Rahman discovered evidence of app quarantining in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 in November, however, the “Quarantined Apps” developer page has since been deleted. Nevertheless, the integration of app quarantine capabilities in Android 15 is anticipated to mark a pivotal advancement in how mobile security is approached.