Getting Started with GreerGuard
Protection for your phone and your browser
What is GreerGuard?
GreerGuard protects you from scams, fraud, and harmful software by watching what apps and websites actually do. Most security products wait until someone has catalogued a threat before they can catch it, which means the first wave of victims is never protected. GreerGuard does not wait. It judges behaviour, so it can catch something the first time it appears.
On your phone, that means checking every installed app against a simple question: do the permissions it holds make sense for what it claims to be? A flashlight that wants to draw over your banking app and read your screen is not a flashlight. GreerGuard notices, and tells you in plain language what it found.
There is also a free browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox that does the same job for web pages, and it works whether or not you use the phone app.
What one device learns, every device knows. When someone reports a dangerous site, a real person on our team reviews it before anything is blocked. Once it is confirmed, it is blocked for everybody. Your protection grows every day without you doing anything, and nothing gets blocked just because one person said so.
GreerGuardian is the paid subscription tier inside GreerGuard. It adds automatic, always-on protection so you never have to remember to scan:
- Real-time monitoring: watches every app update and permission change as it happens, and notices apps that start behaving badly
- Automatic weekly scans: your device is scanned in the background on the day you choose, with results delivered as a notification
- Always-on background protection: GreerGuardian runs quietly at all times using minimal battery
- Instant alerts: you choose how loud each risk level is, from a full-screen alert visible even on your lock screen to a quiet banner
- Extra tools: Privacy Access, Wi-Fi Security, Sideloaded Apps, Notification History, App Locker, Safe Browsing, Go Offline, and making your own QR codes
Zero false-alarm fatigue. GreerGuard only flags something when it genuinely looks wrong, and you decide how strict it is. Alerts about what an app merely asks for when it is installed are off by default, so GreerGuardian leads with what apps actually do. Nothing is lost by that: every install is still checked and recorded, and anything held back is mentioned quietly in the GreerGuard notification.
How to Get Started
Download GreerGuard for free at greerguard.com. No account or sign-in required.
The setup wizard walks you through each one: permission to show notifications, Usage Access (so GreerGuard can see which apps are active), Display over other apps and full-screen alerts (so a warning can reach you over whatever is on screen), and an exception from battery optimization (so Android does not put protection to sleep). None of these share your data with anyone.
Tap Scan Now on the Home screen to check all your existing apps. If any familiar, legitimate apps are flagged, tap them and choose Trust to add them to your safe list. Trusted apps are not flagged again unless an update makes them riskier.
GreerGuard is now active. Free users get on-demand scanning and the free tools. GreerGuardian subscribers also get real-time background monitoring that alerts you the moment anything potentially unwanted happens.
Free vs. GreerGuardian (Premium)
| Feature | Free | GreerGuardian |
|---|---|---|
| Scan all your apps on demand (Scan Now) | ||
| Risk rating - Low, Medium, or High for every flagged app | ||
| Trust apps from scan results | ||
| Trust removed automatically if an update makes an app riskier | ||
| All Apps - every app, filtered by trusted, untrusted, or watched | ||
| History - filter, search, and share | ||
| My Report - calendar of what was caught, week by week | ||
| Security Check - your phone's security settings | ||
| About My Device and Phone Specs | ||
| Scan a QR code and see exactly where it leads | ||
| Make your own QR codes (3 free saves or shares) | ||
| Dark mode | ||
| Home screen widgets | ||
| Automatic background monitoring | not included | |
| Alerts, with a choice of style for each risk level | not included | |
| Choose which alerts you get (installs, updates, permission changes) | not included | |
| Customize alert buttons (Uninstall, Review, Not Now) | not included | |
| Alert sensitivity (Fewer, Balanced, Most alerts) | not included | |
| Monitoring on/off switch | not included | |
| Automatic weekly scan on the day you choose | not included | |
| Privacy Access - which apps can use mic, camera, location | not included | |
| Wi-Fi Security | not included | |
| Sideloaded Apps | not included | |
| Notification History and spam detection | not included | |
| App Locker | not included | |
| Safe Browsing (block dangerous websites on the whole phone) | not included | |
| Server Connections history (last 12 hours) | not included | |
| Go Offline (cut apps, or the whole phone, off the internet) | not included | |
| Unlimited QR codes, and making a code from any app's Share button | not included | |
| Monthly security report notification | not included | |
| Family plan - protect up to 5 devices under one subscription | not included | |
| Monitored devices overview (plan host) | not included |
What You Get for Free
Every GreerGuard user gets these features at no cost, with no account required.
The Home Screen
Home is where you start. A banner at the top says what your last scan found, coloured by the most serious thing on it, and tiles take you to All apps, My device, History, My report, Scan a QR code, Refer a friend, and Help and support. Each tile shows a short status underneath, coloured by the most serious risk it covers rather than by how many items there are.
Scan Now
Tap Scan Now to check every installed app on your device. While it runs, results appear as they are found, with any app that is running right now listed first. Each app shows its risk rating and the reasons it was flagged. From the results you can open an app's system settings page, see everything it has been flagged for, uninstall it, or trust it.
Risk Ratings
Every flagged app gets a rating: Low, Medium, or High. It is based on what the app is able to do, where it came from, and how it behaves. Some things are listed for your information without counting toward the rating, so you can see them without them raising the alarm. Ratings are worked out again whenever an app is updated.
Trusting Apps
If a familiar, legitimate app is flagged, choose Trust on it. Trusted apps leave your results and are not flagged again. If an update later makes the app riskier (for example, from Low to Medium), the trust is removed automatically so you can look at what changed. Apps are trusted one at a time, so a single tap can never undo every decision you have made.
All Apps
Every app on your phone in one list, with chips to narrow it to Trusted, Untrusted, or Watchlist apps. Search by name, select several at once to trust or uninstall them, and remove trust from any app at any time. Removing trust does not affect the app itself; it stays installed and is looked at again on your next scan.
History
A record of everything GreerGuard has noticed: apps flagged, trusted, updated, and removed, permission changes, and protection being turned on or off. Use the chips to filter by type, search by app name, and share your report at any time. On the All chip your last three scans are shown at the top; on the others, just the most recent one. App icons are kept for as long as History still mentions the app, even after it has been uninstalled.
My Report
A calendar of what GreerGuard caught, coloured day by day, with your figures for each of the last few weeks and for all time. Tap any day to see what happened on it.
Security Check
Found on the My device page. It looks over the settings that keep your phone safe: screen lock and timeout, storage encryption, USB debugging, developer mode, whether your phone is rooted, apps allowed to install other apps, sideloaded apps, device administrator access, restricted settings, keyboards, active VPNs, browser notifications, and battery optimization for GreerGuard. Each item says what was found and takes you to the right place in Android's settings to fix it.
About My Device and Phone Specs
Also on My device: your phone's model, Android version, storage, memory, SIM slots, and eSIM support at a glance.
Scan a QR Code
Point your camera at any QR code and GreerGuard shows you exactly what it contains before anything happens. For a link, that is the full web address, the real address behind any lookalike letters, a warning if the link is not secure, and a warning if the site is on our list of dangerous sites. Contact cards, calendar events, Wi-Fi details, phone numbers, emails, text messages, and map locations are each shown in full, and nothing opens unless you choose it.
Amazon links without a referral tag get GreerGuard's Amazon Associates tag added, shown openly in the address with a note about it. As an Amazon Associate, GreerGuard earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. You can untick it to open the link exactly as it was printed.
Make Your Own QR Codes
On the QR scanner, tap Create a Code to make a code for a link, some text, or your contact details. The code appears in the camera square as you type, with Share and Save beside it. Everyone can save or share 3 codes for free; with GreerGuardian it is unlimited.
Dark Mode
In Settings, under Appearance. It follows your phone's own dark setting, and you can change it at any time.
Filter the history by type, just as you would in the app. Tap a chip here or on the phone, and scroll the phone to see more.
View App Info and Permissions
From the scan results, tap any flagged app to open its Android system settings page directly, or view the full list of permissions that app currently holds.
Home Screen Widgets
Add a GreerGuard widget to your phone's home screen: a small status widget that shows whether protection is on, and a larger one with shortcuts to the security tools. Tap a widget to open the app where you need it.
GreerGuardian Features Explained
The following features are available to GreerGuardian subscribers only, in addition to everything in the free tier.
Automatic Background Monitoring
GreerGuardian runs quietly in the background and watches every app install, update, and permission change as it happens, along with what apps get up to once they are on your phone. You do not need to remember to scan. If anything dangerous appears, you are alerted straight away.
Background scans also keep you posted quietly. Anything they find, Low risk included, is mentioned in the GreerGuard notification until you open the app, and if your settings do not alert you about Low risk apps, the notification shows how many are on your phone instead.
Instant Threat Alerts
When something dangerous is detected, GreerGuardian tells you immediately. In Settings you choose how each risk level reaches you: a full-screen alert that shows even on your lock screen, a smaller pop-up over what you are doing, or a quiet banner. An app that can draw over other apps, or install other apps, always gets the full-screen alert, because those are the abilities scams rely on most.
Alerts include action buttons so you can respond without opening the app:
- Uninstall: removes the app right away. Full-screen alerts always include it.
- Review: opens GreerGuard to see the full details for that app.
- Not Now: dismisses the alert without taking any action.
- Trust this behavior (full-screen alerts): accepts what was flagged, so the same thing on that app does not alert you again.
How an alert looks depends on the style you choose for each risk level in Settings. These are the two main styles. Tap one to see it, and scroll the phone to read the whole alert.
Alert Settings
Open Settings. The Alerts section at the top lets you:
- Choose which alerts you get: separate switches for Install alerts (a newly installed app looks risky from the permissions it asks for), Update alerts (an update adds permissions, raises an app's risk, or rolls an app back to an older version), and Permission change alerts (an app is granted a permission that raises its risk). Install alerts are off by default. Anything a switched-off alert would have shown is still checked and kept in History, and a quiet note stays in the GreerGuard notification until you open the app.
- Customize alert buttons: choose which of Uninstall, Review, and Not Now appear on pop-up alerts. Full-screen alerts always include Uninstall.
- Set the alert sensitivity: see below.
Under Permission warnings you choose the alert style for each risk level, and which permissions you want to be warned about.
On the free plan these settings are still shown, greyed out and switched off, below the ones that do work, so you can see what GreerGuardian adds.
Monitoring On/Off Switch
Pause and resume background protection any time from the Account page. Your settings and trusted apps are kept exactly as they were when you turn monitoring back on.
Alert Sensitivity
Choose how sensitive alerts are using the Alert Sensitivity slider. There are three options:
- Fewer alerts: only serious, high-risk threats trigger an alert.
- Balanced: Medium and High risk trigger an alert.
- Most alerts: anything potentially unwanted triggers an alert, Low risk included. This is the default.
Privacy Access
On the My device page. It lists every app that can use your microphone, camera, or location, with the apps running right now at the top and a green dot on each one that is. The list keeps itself up to date while you watch it. Tap any app to review or change what it is allowed to do.
Wi-Fi Security
Checks whether the Wi-Fi network you are on is safe to use, and tells you why if it is not.
Sideloaded Apps
Finds apps on your device that were installed from outside an app store, such as APK files downloaded from the web. These apps skip the store's safety checks and carry a higher risk of being harmful. Each is scored and labeled Clean, Low Risk, Medium Risk, or High Risk.
Notification History and Spam Detection
Shows which apps have had high-notification days over the last 30 days. A high-notification day is any day an app sent 9 or more notifications. Each app is colour-coded by how many such days it has had: 1 to 4, 5 to 14, or 15 or more. If an app sends a sudden burst of notifications, a common pattern for adware, GreerGuardian tells you in real time.
App Locker
Lock the apps you choose behind your fingerprint, face, or PIN, so someone holding your phone cannot open them.
Automatic Weekly Scan
GreerGuardian runs a full background scan of your device once a week, on the day you choose in Settings, and sends you a notification with the results.
Monthly Security Report
Once a month, GreerGuardian sends a notification summarising the month: how many threats and permission changes were caught.
Subscription Renewal Alerts
GreerGuardian notifies you before your subscription renews or expires, so you always know what is coming.
Safe Browsing
Safe Browsing is a built-in filter that blocks dangerous or harmful websites before a connection is ever made, for every app and browser on your phone. When it is on, every website your phone looks up is checked against a regularly updated list of known harmful sites, ad networks, and tracking services.
Safe Browsing also routes your searches through Google SafeSearch, automatically filtering out harmful and explicit results across every browser and app on your phone.
Turn it on or off from the My device page, or from the GreerGuard notification. While it is on, History has a Server Connections view of every site your phone has contacted over the last 12 hours, with what was blocked, and a search bar to find one.
Go Offline
Cut chosen apps, or the whole phone, off the internet with one switch on the My device page. Useful if you think something on your phone is misbehaving and want it to stop talking to the outside world while you look into it. Turn it back on from the same switch or from the GreerGuard notification.
Unlimited QR Codes, and Codes From Any App
With GreerGuardian you can make as many QR codes as you like. You can also choose Make a QR code in any app's Share menu, from your browser for example, and GreerGuard opens with the code already made from what you shared.
Family Plan
A Family Plan subscription covers up to 5 devices under a single activation. One device is the host, and the others are linked to the host's subscription. The host is the device where you enter the activation code; other devices join with a short share code from the host's Account page, under Devices.
As the host, the Devices tab shows every device on your plan and its security status, and you can rename devices to make them easier to tell apart (for example, "Mom's Phone" or "Work Tablet"). In History, the Monitored devices view shows the apps flagged and the websites blocked on each linked device, so you can help with anything that comes up.
As a linked device, your GreerGuardian protection works exactly as it does on a single-device plan. Flagged apps and blocked websites on your device are shared with the host, as described above.
If the host's subscription lapses, all linked devices return to the free plan at the same time, and each one receives a notification when this happens.
Refer a Friend
Open Refer a friend from the Home screen to share your link. On the free plan, referrals unlock real features: a security tool every 5 referrals, always-on protection once 3 friends subscribe, and Safe Browsing plus 2 extra device seats at 6 referrals. GreerGuardian subscribers earn a reward at 2 paying and 5 total referrals: an extra device seat, or a limited Guardian gifted to someone else. A device on a reward seat gets a limited Guardian rather than the full plan.
The Browser Extension
The GreerGuard extension is free and works on Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox. You do not need a subscription, and you do not need the phone app.
What it stops
Some web pages try to trap you. They go fullscreen so you cannot see the address bar, hide your mouse pointer, stop you closing the tab, and play an alarm next to a countdown and a phone number. It looks like your computer has been taken over. It has not. It is a web page, and the phone number reaches a scammer.
GreerGuard recognises this by the behaviour, not by the address, so it works on pages nobody has reported yet. When it sees a page doing these things it takes the page back: it exits fullscreen, gives you your pointer back, lets you close the tab, and shows you exactly which of those things the page did.
Checking your other extensions
Browser extensions can be dangerous, and it is hard to tell which ones are. GreerGuard reviews every extension you have installed and explains in plain language what each one is actually allowed to do. It also tells you if one of them quietly gains new powers after an update, which is a common way a useful extension turns into a harmful one.
Open History, then Extensions, then Audit to see the list.
Blocking known-bad sites
The extension also blocks sites that have already been confirmed dangerous, using the same reviewed list your phone uses.
Linking it to your phone
You can link the extension to your GreerGuard app so that everything shows up in one place. Open the extension's settings and follow the linking steps. Linking is optional, and the extension is fully functional without it.
Coming to Windows and Mac
GreerGuard applications for Windows and macOS are in development. They will bring the same two ideas to your computer: judging software by how it behaves rather than waiting for a list, and blocking confirmed-dangerous sites for every program on the machine, not only the browser.
We are not announcing a date, and we would rather ship them right than ship them early. In the meantime the browser extension covers the place most of these attacks actually arrive.
Cancelling Your Subscription
You can cancel at any time from inside the app. Your GreerGuardian protection remains active until the end of your current billing period: you will not be charged again after cancellation.
- Open the GreerGuard app.
- Open the Account page and tap Cancel Subscription.
- Confirm the cancellation. You'll see the exact date your protection ends.
After cancellation your device switches to the free tier automatically on the expiry date. No action is needed from you.
If you subscribed through Google Play directly, tapping Cancel Subscription will open the Google Play subscriptions page where you can manage it there instead.