Google’s Android is comparatively a safe and secure platform due to the constant security patches and updates. Still, there are reports of malware attacks on some smartphones due to the development of new rogue apps that may harm the system. Google has now developed a feature specifically to battle these rogue apps dubbed the “Panic Detection” mode. This mode is housed in its Android 7.1 operating system.
Google quietly introduced this anti-malware feature in the latest version of Android Nougat, which will serve as a last line of defense against the rogue apps.
Panic Detection Mode: What Is It?
It is a new anti-malware feature Google devised for its Android 7.1 Nougat OS. Through this functionality, a smartphone user would be able to prevent a rogue app from opening on their smartphone, preventing it from permeating the handset’s systems and configurations and wreaking havoc.
However, it must be noted that the anti-malware feature is not necessarily active in all Android 7.1 Nougat-powered handsets in the market. XDA reports that a specific value in the coding of the software determines whether the feature is turned on or off.
So, users with premium handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S series and Google’s own smartphones like Pixel and Nexus devices are most likely to get this Panic Detection feature in their device. However, if a phone is on Android 7.1 Nougat and still does not support the anti-malware feature, there is no way to manually turn it on without resorting to rooting the device.
How Does The Anti-Malware Feature Work?
The Panic Detection mode is quite simple to access and does not require that a user undergoes any complex procedure. After opening a rogue app, users may get wind that the application is trying to install malware on the smartphone. The user would then have to tap the back button on their handset four times in quick succession.
The Panic Detection gets initiated if the four taps are just 300 milliseconds apart. This prompts the phone to prevent the malicious app from opening and, therefore, protect the device from the malware program inside the rogue app. Users can follow the normal procedure to uninstall and download the program from their phones.
Benefits Of Panic Detection Mode
The benefits of the anti-malware feature introduced in some of the Android 7.1 Nougat-powered devices are self-explanatory. Initiating the functionality would force the users to retrace from the malicious app, right back to their home screen. This allows a user time to delete the app itself, or to backup data and then factory reset the handset.
It remains to be seen if malware creators will now develop rogue apps, which will be able to bypass the new security feature in Android 7.1 Nougat handsets.
[Featured Image by spVVK/iStockphoto]
