Android 17 Advanced Protection Locks Accessibility Services to Verified Accessibility Tools
Android 17 Advanced Protection will limit AccessibilityService access to verified Accessibility Tools, blocking a common malware path.
Google said Android 17 will automatically restrict the AccessibilityService API to verified apps categorized as Accessibility Tools when Advanced Protection is enabled. The change targets a long-used path in which users are socially engineered into granting accessibility access so malware can read screens, log keystrokes, overlay fake logins, and initiate fraudulent transfers without root. Android 17 also adds privacy-preserving intrusion logging, USB connection protections, an option to disable WebGPU, a failed-authentication lock against physical tampering, and a view of apps that checked Advanced Protection status. Users already on Advanced Protection will be notified and must manually enable Intrusion Logging.