Chrome on Android to show fewer warnings for APK downloads with Play Protect

It’s common for Chrome on Android to show warnings when you download files, especially APKs. They can be risky. But sometimes, it falls off as unnecessary or annoying warnings, so some users manage to download them by bypassing Play Protect and Chrome’s security warning instead.

But now, Google is apparently working to show fewer unnecessary warnings when you have Play Protect enabled, while still showing safety warnings for downloaded files. We’ve also spotted a commit on Chromium that hint at this feature, and this change will soon apply to all downloads, not just APKs.

You may be familiar with the “File might be harmful” warning, such as the one above, when you download APK files on your phone from Chrome. This happens even if you have Google Play Protect (GPP) enabled. With changes planned by Google, those unnecessary warnings will be a thing of the past.

The planned changes reveal the order in which warnings appear. If you download a file and haven’t chosen a location yet, you won’t see the “File might be harmful” warning.

If you download a file and don’t have Google Play Protect enabled, you’ll still see the “File might be harmful” warning as usual. This helps you make an informed decision before opening the file. Even better, after the download is complete, Chrome will prompt you to turn on Google Play Protect for an extra layer of security.

The download warning changes are currently being tested and may not be available immediately on all devices. However, once it rolls out, you’ll experience a safer download experience on your Android phone when using Google Chrome.