Google blocking sideloading of unverified Android apps: Difference between revisions
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Android has historically allowed '''sideloading''', which is installation of apps from outside the official Play Store. They usually allow this only if users enabled "unknown sources" in their device settings. This openness distinguished Android from Apple's iOS, which restricts app installs to its App Store. Alternative app stores such as F-Droid and Amazon's Appstore, as well as direct downloads from sites like APKMirror, thrived under this model.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Dallas |date=14 Sep 2024 |title=The Wild West days of sideloading on Android are officially over in this week's news |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/weekly-android-news-roundup-september-14-2024/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 Aug 2025 |website=Android Police}}</ref> | The Android operating system has historically allowed '''sideloading''', which is the installation of apps from outside the official Play Store. They usually allow this only if users enabled "unknown sources" in their device settings. This openness distinguished Android from Apple's iOS, which restricts app installs to its App Store. Alternative app stores such as F-Droid and Amazon's Appstore, as well as direct downloads from sites like APKMirror, thrived under this model.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Dallas |date=14 Sep 2024 |title=The Wild West days of sideloading on Android are officially over in this week's news |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/weekly-android-news-roundup-september-14-2024/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 Aug 2025 |website=Android Police}}</ref> | ||
Over time, Google introduced restrictions in the name of security. In 2023, it began requiring Play Store developers to verify their identities, which Google said reduced impersonation and malware.<ref name=":0" /> Android 13 and Android 15 further limited what sideloaded apps could do, blocking access to sensitive permissions for apps not installed through official channels.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Rahman |first=Mishaal |date=25 Aug 2025 |title=Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/android-developer-verification-requirements-3590911/ |url-status=live |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=Android Authority}}</ref> These steps laid the groundwork for Google's new, broader enforcement. | Over time, Google introduced restrictions in the name of security. In 2023, it began requiring Play Store developers to verify their identities, which Google said reduced impersonation and malware.<ref name=":0" /> Android 13 and Android 15 further limited what sideloaded apps could do, blocking access to sensitive permissions for apps not installed through official channels.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Rahman |first=Mishaal |date=25 Aug 2025 |title=Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers' identities |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/android-developer-verification-requirements-3590911/ |url-status=live |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=Android Authority}}</ref> These steps laid the groundwork for Google's new, broader enforcement. | ||