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Google introduces a new way for users to sideload Android apps that still protects against scams

What happened

Google announced new restrictions on Android app sideloading that will require a 24-hour waiting period and multi-step security process to install apps from unverified developers. The company initially planned to block unverified apps entirely but softened its approach after pushback. The new "advanced flow" will launch later this year alongside mandatory developer verification requirements.

Why people care

Android's open nature has long distinguished it from Apple's locked-down iOS, allowing users to install apps from outside the Google Play Store. These changes represent Google's biggest shift toward Apple's more restrictive model, balancing security concerns with user freedom in ways that could reshape the Android ecosystem.

The takes

Privacy advocates say

The new restrictions represent an unwelcome step toward Apple's walled garden approach that has made iOS so restrictive. While Google claims this maintains user choice, adding friction and waiting periods will discourage sideloading and give Google more control over what software users can run on their own devices.

Google says

The changes are necessary to protect users from malicious apps and scams while still preserving the ability to sideload for those who want it. The company emphasizes this is a compromise that maintains Android's openness while adding important security guardrails that most users will benefit from.

Sources

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