Sideloading Android apps is about to get quite a bit more annoying if Google has its way. The changes come from new policies implemented by Google, which will add an extra step when downloading apps ...

Manuel Vonau was Android Police's Google Editor until April 2024, with expertise in Android, Chrome, Pixels, and other Google products. For five years, he covered tech news and reviewed devices after ...

Android is often praised for supporting sideloading for apps that don't come from official sources like the Google Play Store. And the opposite is true with the iPhone, where Apple only lets users ...

The next version of Android could bar you from installing ancient apps in some circumstances. 9to5Google has spotted a code change indicating that Android 14 will block users from sideloading apps ...

In brief: Google Play Protect serves as Android's first line of defense against malicious apps. However, the mobile anti-malware service can sometimes make sideloading cumbersome – or even outright ...

Android 15's new sideloading restrictions could signal a shift for the Android ecosystem, challenging its historically open nature. These tighter security measures protect average users from malicious ...

Google is changing how sideloading works on Android. Starting in 2026, only apps from verified developers will be allowed on certified Android devices. Developers distributing apps outside the Play ...

Nathan is a tech journalist from Canada who spends too much money on gadgets. You can find his work on Android Police, Digital Trends, iMore, Mobile Syrup and ZDNET. Nathan studied journalism at ...

Don't miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google. In August, Google announced plans for a new Android developer verification process that would see the end of ...

The tech giant points to security failings when sideloading apps in Google's Android software as a sign of how bad things can be. Ian Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's ...