Will Android be the new iOS? Google makes sideloading more difficult

If a new app is not initially available in the German Play Store, there are simple ways for Android users to install it without any effort: via sideloading. This involves downloading the corresponding APK file from a third-party site. Traditionally, sideloading is one of the arguments for the openness of Android.

After all, Apple’s iOS did not allow the installation of apps from other sources for a long time. This only changed under pressure from the European Union. However, Google will now make it more difficult for Android users to install apps from outside, as Android Authority reports.

Android apps can be downloaded from the Play Store

The so-called Google Play Integrity API is important for this. The technical term refers to an interface that developers can use to check whether server requests come from their real app and whether it was downloaded from the Play Store on a real Android device. In short: the interface checks the integrity of the application.

If the Google Play Integrity API encounters a problem during the check, the backend server can respond with appropriate measures, according to Google. Android Authority provides an example: If the app comes from a third-party source and not from Google’s own store, it could in future display the message “Get this app from Play” and also ask users to download the application from the official store. Otherwise, the app will no longer work.

Although it is possible to close this dialog box on the smartphone, the app sends this response to the developer. He or she can then decide whether access should remain blocked.

Android soon less open

The extent to which developers will take action against sideloading in the future will of course depend on the individual. On its overview page, however, Google already lists well-known partners who use the Play Integrity API, including Uber and Tiktok. According to Android Police, Google has also long since integrated ways to replace apps installed via sideloading with the official versions from the Play Store.

It’s obvious why Google does this. Apps from third-party sources always carry a risk. It can happen that the application doesn’t run properly on the device because code is missing or the smartphone or tablet doesn’t meet certain hardware requirements. Of course, security also plays a role.

To ensure this, Google seems willing to make Android a little less open in the future. As Android Police notes, it is no longer an operating system for tinkerers. Android is installed on billions of devices worldwide.

Ironically, security concerns are one of the reasons Apple has used to prevent sideloading on the iPhone. But it hasn’t worked. And of course, the company is also in it for the money. Apple earns money from every purchase or subscription in the App Store. This is probably one of the reasons why the process is difficult on iPhones.

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