{"id":1729,"date":"2016-02-16T08:24:16","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T08:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/screentimelabs.com\/?p=1729"},"modified":"2022-03-18T05:49:37","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T05:49:37","slug":"how-secure-is-google-play-and-android","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/screentimelabs.com\/blog\/how-secure-is-google-play-and-android\/","title":{"rendered":"How secure is your child’s Android device?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"Pros & Cons<\/span><\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t a perfect solution but we weighed up the pros & cons and decided on the best course of action for Screen Time and the parents we help. In the end we decided to re-release the version of <\/span>Screen Time<\/span><\/a> that was originally on the Play Store, but we had to make a change and remove the password protection on uninstallation. <\/span><\/p>\n

The settings of Screen Time are still password protected but inquisitive kids could work out a way to uninstall the app without having the password. For some parents this isn\u2019t a big concern but we always want to make Screen Time as secure as possible to give everyone peace of mind. <\/span><\/p>\n

So you can still get a version of Screen Time that has password protected uninstallation, and it\u2019s available from our own servers <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>. We also message parents if it looks like Screen Time has been removed or is able to be uninstalled to let them know about the more secure version.<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the things that you need to do to install the version of Screen Time that has password protection for uninstalling is to enable a setting within Android called Unknown Sources. This allows you to install apps on the device that aren\u2019t on the Play Store. Some see this as a security risk but for others it\u2019s no big deal. Either way it\u2019s important to understand what that feature does so we\u2019re going to take a look at it in more depth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaving Unknown Sources enabled<\/span><\/h3>\n

If, after you\u2019ve read the rest of this article, you\u2019re still not sure about having Unknown Sources enabled. You can play it safe and disable Unknown Sources straight after you\u2019ve installed Screen Time. The only downside to this is that you won\u2019t receive automatic updates. Instead you\u2019ll need to periodically enable Unknown Sources to download the updated version of Screen Time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Into the Unknown<\/span><\/h2>\n

There has always been a lot of misleading information on digital security, very little of this information is based on data and most times arguments boil down to the more security the better, without looking at the likelihood. Yes, the chances of having an accident are less if you don\u2019t ever go outside, but does that mean you should be a hermit?<\/span><\/p>\n

“less than an estimated 0.001% of app installations on Android are able to evade the system\u2019s multi-layered defenses and cause harm to users.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Android Security chief Adrian Ludwig <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Firstly leaving Unknown sources disabled is only a benefit to security if it remains disabled. Many kids already know about side loading apps and installing apps from other stores (they often try this trying to get around Screen Time), so there\u2019s a chance that they will enable unknown sources themselves. Most importantly though, Unknown Sources is just a step in Android\u2019s multi layered security.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Apart from Unknown Sources<\/h3>\n