Android's New Sideloading Loophole Lets Power Users Install Unverified Apps
When Google announced its plans to more thoroughly vet developers that want to make their wares available on Android and thus closing the door to sideloading, there was severe backlash from its user base. The most vocal rebuke came from the organization that runs F-Droid, a popular open-source app store, who penned a scathing letter in opposition to Google’s new policies.
The words didn’t fall on deaf ears. In a post on social media platform X, Sameer Samat, president of Android, shared that his team got good feedback and that “users, especially power users, want to take more risk in what they install.” Google says it will be working on a method to install apps from unverified developers that include “clear warnings to ensure users fully understand the risks involved.”
The company will also be providing a new way for students and hobbyists to more easily sign up as developers. These types of accounts won’t be required to meet the new standard of verification but will be limited by how many devices an app can be installed on—basically, just enough for budding developers to work on and test their apps.
It’s surprising that Google didn’t opt to take this path from the start, as it’s a reasonable middle ground. It gives more experienced users the freedom to keep using Android the way they’ve become accustomed to using it, while shielding less knowledgeable users from being taken advantage of by malicious actors. We're still not huge fans of Google's efforts to lock down Android, but these concessions will probably mollify all but the most ardent freedom advocates.
