Comparison · October 2026
Trasimène or Google Play Protect: what is the difference?
Google Play Protect is Google's protection built into Android. It checks apps and can disable or remove the most dangerous ones. Trasimène does not replace it, it adds to it: it also checks your Wi-Fi network, QR code links, your phone's settings and leaks of your email address. And it works on iPhone too.
What does Google Play Protect do, according to Google?
According to Google's official pages, read again on October 22, 2026:
- It checks every app on the phone, wherever it came from. It scans the device once a day, and you can start a full scan whenever you want.
- It checks apps from the Google Play Store before you download them. When you install an app from somewhere else, it checks it on the spot.
- If it finds a dangerous app, it warns you and, in extreme cases, can stop it from being installed. The most harmful apps are removed automatically, the others are disabled.
- On Android 6 to 10, it can remove permissions from apps you have not used for three months.
- On Pixel 6 and newer, and according to Google on a selection of new phones from other brands, live threat detection watches how apps behave, right on the phone.
- In some countries, it stops the installation of an app downloaded from a browser, a messaging app or a file manager when that app asks for access to SMS, notifications or accessibility.
- It is on by default, and can be turned off.
What else does Trasimène check on Android?
As of October 2026, the Trasimène Android app runs up to 157 checks. Some need a permission (notification access, app usage access, all-files access): without it, the check stays grey. A few examples:
- The phone: deep system tampering (root), unlocked bootloader, USB debugging turned on, late security updates, an Android version that no longer gets fixes.
- The apps: where they came from (official store or not), comparison with lists of known malicious apps, hidden apps with no icon, remote-control tools, apps of doubtful origin that combine accessibility with internet access, unknown keyboards.
- The network: Wi-Fi with no password, fake Wi-Fi using the name of a real one, a connection rerouted through a middleman, a changed SIM card, a nearby Bluetooth attack.
- Links and accounts: links in QR codes read with Trasimène, dangerous links in your notifications (including SMS), your email address found in a data leak.
Does Trasimène check that Play Protect is on?
Yes, on Android. One of Trasimène's checks makes sure app scanning by Play Protect is turned on in your settings, and tells you if it is off. The two protections add up: keep Play Protect on.
Who removes a dangerous app?
According to Google, Play Protect can remove or disable a dangerous app by itself. Trasimène does not remove anything for you: it tells you which app is a problem, why, and how to uninstall it.
What about iPhone?
Google presents Play Protect as a protection for Android phones. On iPhone, Trasimène runs 48 checks as of October 2026, for example: signs of jailbreak, an outdated iOS version, an iPhone controlled by a profile or a management server, tools that install apps outside the App Store, keyboards of unknown origin, interception of secure connections, QR code links.
One limit to know: iOS does not let any app see the list of other apps. So on iPhone, Trasimène cannot check your apps one by one.
Do I have to choose between the two?
No. On Android, Play Protect and Trasimène work together. With Trasimène, all security features are free; only the VPN is paid (see what is free).
Summary table (October 2026)
| Topic | Google Play Protect (according to Google) | Trasimène (according to its code) |
|---|---|---|
| Checks apps | Google Play Protect (according to Google)Yes, all of them, every day and at install | Trasimène (according to its code)On Android, at every scan (every 30 minutes by default). Not possible on iPhone |
| Removes or disables an app | Google Play Protect (according to Google)Yes, the most harmful ones | Trasimène (according to its code)No: it tells you how to uninstall it |
| Stops an installation | Google Play Protect (according to Google)Yes, in some cases and some countries | Trasimène (according to its code)No |
| Checks the network (Wi-Fi, interception) | Google Play Protect (according to Google)No network check described on its pages | Trasimène (according to its code)Yes, on Android and iPhone |
| Checks links | Google Play Protect (according to Google)Its help page mentions warnings about unsafe addresses, without detail | Trasimène (according to its code)QR codes (Android and iPhone), notifications (Android) |
| Checks phone settings | Google Play Protect (according to Google)Not described on its pages | Trasimène (according to its code)Yes |
| Tells you if your email leaks | Google Play Protect (according to Google)Not described on its pages | Trasimène (according to its code)Yes, for free |
| On iPhone | Google Play Protect (according to Google)No: Google presents it as an Android protection | Trasimène (according to its code)Yes, 48 checks |
| Getting started | Google Play Protect (according to Google)On by default | Trasimène (according to its code)After installing, creating an account and confirming your email address |
What Trasimène does not do
- It does not replace Play Protect and does not stop apps from being installed.
- It does not remove apps for you.
- It has no anti-theft feature and no protection against unwanted calls.
- It does not promise 100% protection.