Google Play Protect certification: what it is and how to know if your mobile is certified

For a few years now, Google Play has told you if your mobile is certified from its settings, this being a relatively simple way to know if the terminal has been modified or there is something strange with it. We tell you what is Google Play certification and how it affects you.

The normal thing is that your mobile is shown as certified in Google Play, but in case it is not, at the moment there do not seem to be many repercussions. We will see what this certification means and how can you check if your mobile is certified.

What is Play Protect certification

In order for a manufacturer to include Google’s Android customizations that are not part of AOSP and pre-install Google’s suite of apps, you need to meet a number of requirements. It is necessary to comply with the stipulations in the CDD document (compatibility definition document) of each version of Android and therefore have the appropriate license to incorporate Google applications.

Part of this verification assumes that the device passes a series of tests that verify that, indeed, everything is configured as expected and the

terminal includes the software and hardware capabilities that Google requests. These requirements range from the camera’s minimum number of megapixels to how beauty mode is applied in the camera app.

The Google Play certification therefore serves to verify that the mobile meets the standards to integrate Google apps and services. After passing the certification, the specific model of the terminal is added to the list of supported terminals, which it’s public and specific for each variant of the terminal that has been launched with Google services.

Only mobiles that pass this certification can include Google appsat least legally. In order to detect those who do it without having the papers in order, Google Play has indicated the certification status of your device for a long time.

How to know if your mobile is certified

Until a few years ago, it was almost impossible to know if the manufacturer had included Google Services without permission or if someone had modified the system ROM before you bought it, but this changed as of Google Play version 7.4, back in the day 2017. Since then it is possible to check the status of the Play Protect certification from the Google Play settings.

The process is very simple. First, open Google Play and tap on your profile picture, then tap on Settings. Display the panel Information and you will see the data at the bottom, in the row of Play Protect certification. It will say “Certified device” or “Non-certified device” there.

What if your mobile is not certified

The normal thing is that your mobile is certified, unless you have changed the ROM or you have bought it second-hand or imported. If your mobile is not certified, that means there is no proof that the terminal meets the tests and requirements established by Google. According to Google, the repercussions are:

• Devices without Play Protect certification may not be secure.

• Devices without Play Protect certification may not receive Android system or app updates.

• Google apps that are included in devices without Play Protect certification are not licensed and may have been counterfeited.

• Apps and features on non-Play Protect certified devices may not run properly.

• The data backup of a device without Play Protect certification may not be created securely.

Basically, the main idea is that the mobile in its current state has not passed Google’s tests, so it could be more insecure. In the past there was news that applications such as Android Messages or Duo would stop working on uncertified mobiles, but this does not seem to be the case, at least until now: as of today there is no repercussion for the user

If you have installed a ROM on the mobile, then it appears as not certified is normal. However, if you have bought a mobile and it appears as not certified, it never hurts to contact the manufacturer to try to obtain a solution in this regard, as there is always the possibility that in the future some applications will stop working on it.

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Google Play Protect certification: what it is and how to know if your mobile is certified

was originally published in

Engadget Android

by Iván Ramírez.