Google Play Protect is Google’s antivirus that is integrated into Google Services and is accessible from Google Play. Now Google has published it as separate app on google play, although the listing appears to be hidden now.
It is not the first time that Google publishes functions integrated in other apps as separate apps on Google Play, although the case is even more puzzling in the case of Play Protect. Possibly the idea is power update it more easily.
Play Protect as an app on Google Play
For some reason, Google has decided to publish Google Play Protect as a separate application on Google Play. Generally, this is a mode of facilitate updates, although it is somewhat more complicated in the case of Play Protect. Google Play Protect is part of the Google Play Services, so updates came to you after updates to those services. These Google services are already available on Google Play.
Another possible advantage of publishing the application separately would be that Google’s antivirus could be installed on any mobile, with or without Google Services, but this also doesn’t seem to be the case. First, because the mobiles that have the Play Store already have Google Services. What’s more, the current APK shows that this version still requires Google Play services.
The list of the application itself does not take us too much of doubt, with a generic description that describes Google Play Protect Service as the pre-installed defense system of Google Play. The reason why Google is making its antivirus independent from Google Services may be simply to separate responsibilities, but be that as it may, this version of Google Play has been downloaded more than 100,000 times.
At the moment, the available APKs do not do much: they cannot be opened and the only activity inside them is to show the licenses of included components. It seems that Google is preparing the ground for separate Play Protect from other Google services, not yet ready. It will be necessary to see how the matter evolves.
Via | XDA