Researchers say some popular low-cost Android TV boxes and dongles come with pre-installed malware. Here's how to quickly check if your Android TV OS device is licensed and protected by Google Play Protect.

Android TV boxes have become immensely popular in the last couple of years. However, security researchers recently discovered numerous top-rated Android TV set-top boxes and dongles sold on e-commerce platforms like Amazon are preloaded with malware.

Google says most of these devices are marketed as Android TV OS-powered boxes but are built using Android Open Source Project and some even come with Google apps and Play Store not licensed by Google. But just because a set-top box or a dongle comes with Android TV doesn’t mean it’s certified by Google. The tech giant has acknowledged the issue and shared guidelines on how to check if your device is built with Android TV OS and is Play Protect certified.

If you are thinking of purchasing an Android TV, make sure to check if the manufacturer is listed on the Android TV website under the ‘Global Partners’ section. In case the device isn’t listed for some reason, try checking the Google Play Protect status.