Guardsquare

Guardsquare is a mobile application security company that provides code obfuscation, app shielding, and runtime protection for Android and iOS apps. The company is best known as the creator of ProGuard, the open-source Java bytecode optimizer used by virtually every Android application, and its commercial products DexGuard and iXGuard that extend ProGuard with advanced security features.

The platform takes a build-level approach to mobile protection. Rather than wrapping compiled binaries, Guardsquare’s tools integrate into the compilation process itself, applying obfuscation and hardening at the code level. This produces protection that is structurally embedded in the application rather than layered on top.

What is Guardsquare?

Guardsquare provides a complete mobile security lifecycle: test with AppSweep, protect with DexGuard/iXGuard, and monitor in production. The tools integrate into standard build systems (Gradle for Android, Xcode for iOS) and fit into existing CI/CD pipelines without requiring changes to application architecture.

Key Features

DexGuard (Android Protection)

DexGuard is Guardsquare’s commercial Android protection tool. It applies multiple layers of obfuscation and hardening during the build process:

• Control flow obfuscation: Restructures code logic so decompiled output is difficult to follow
• Name obfuscation: Renames classes, methods, and fields to meaningless identifiers
• String encryption: Encrypts hardcoded strings so they cannot be read from decompiled code
• Code virtualization: Converts critical code sections into custom bytecode that runs on an embedded virtual machine
• Asset and resource encryption: Protects app resources from extraction
• RASP protections: Root detection, tamper detection, debugger detection, and emulator detection at runtime

DexGuard builds on ProGuard, so teams already using ProGuard can upgrade without reworking their build configuration. The tool integrates as a Gradle plugin and runs during the standard Android build process.

iXGuard (iOS Protection)

iXGuard provides equivalent protections for iOS apps built with Objective-C, Swift, or cross-platform frameworks. It integrates into Xcode build workflows and applies obfuscation at compile time. The tool covers name obfuscation, string encryption, control flow obfuscation, and runtime integrity checks.

Both DexGuard and iXGuard support cross-platform frameworks including Flutter, React Native, Unity, Cordova, Ionic, and Xamarin. This means a single security tool chain can protect apps regardless of how they were built.

ProGuard (Open Source)

ProGuard is the free, open-source Java bytecode optimizer that ships as part of the Android SDK. It shrinks, optimizes, and obfuscates Java and Kotlin code. While it provides basic protection through code shrinking and name obfuscation, it lacks the security-focused features of DexGuard such as string encryption, control flow obfuscation, and runtime protection.

ProGuard remains a solid baseline for apps that do not face targeted reverse-engineering threats. For apps handling sensitive logic, financial transactions, or proprietary algorithms, DexGuard provides the additional hardening layers.

AppSweep Security Testing

AppSweep is Guardsquare’s mobile application security testing tool. It analyzes Android and iOS app binaries to identify security vulnerabilities in your code and third-party dependencies. The free tier lets individual developers scan their apps at no cost, while AppSweep Enterprise adds role-based access control, SSO, and custom data retention policies for organizations.

AppSweep provides remediation guidance alongside its findings, helping developers understand and fix issues rather than simply flagging them.

Getting Started

When to Use Guardsquare

Guardsquare is the right choice when your primary concern is preventing reverse engineering of your mobile app’s code. The build-level obfuscation approach produces stronger protection against static analysis than binary-wrapping alternatives, because the obfuscation is woven into the compiled output itself.

Consider Guardsquare for apps that contain proprietary algorithms, DRM logic, payment processing code, or other intellectual property that competitors or attackers might try to extract. Financial services, gaming, and media companies are common adopters.

If your needs extend beyond code protection into fraud prevention, bot defense, and geo-compliance, tools like Appdome cover that broader scope. For runtime-only protection without build integration, Talsec offers a lighter-weight SDK approach with a free tier.

Frequently Asked Questions