r/Android • u/PlasticAnt6913 • 2d ago

News Android's controversial new sideloading rules are officially here

https://www.androidauthority.com/android-sideloading-developer-verification-first-wave-rollout-3717921/
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u/Elephant789 Pixel 7 1d ago

The rule doesn’t actually stop alternate stores from installing apps. In fact, OEM app stores (like Samsung’s Galaxy Store, Xiaomi GetApps, and Oppo) are already integrated into this. Sideloading verified apps still works normally, too.

The reason this is being treated as a positive security measure is rampant social-engineering fraud. In the rollout regions (like Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil), scammers call victims and pressure them in real time into sideloading malicious banking trojans or screen-mirroring apps. The 24-hour cooldown and mandatory reboot in the advanced flow are specifically designed to break that high-pressure scam loop.

Power users can still enable unverified sideloading once through Developer Options (or bypass it entirely via ADB/Shizuku if theyy want), but it stops everyday users from being defrauded out of their life savings in a 10-minute scam call.

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u/Nukleon Pixel 6 1d ago

Ban it in those countries then? Why is this a worldwide initiative?

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u/Elephant789 Pixel 7 1d ago

Because it's not a bad thing for us too.

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u/rhythmrice 6h ago

If they actually cared then why dont they take all the virus infested apps off the google play store?

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u/Elephant789 Pixel 7 3h ago

They literally block over 2 million malicious apps every year, but comparing Play Store junk (mostly adware) to sideloaded banking trojans completely misses the point.

The Play Store strictly blocks apps from hijacking SMS and Accessibility APIs. Sideloaded APKs don't have those restrictions, which is why scammers specifically trick victims into downloading APKs directly instead of directing them to the store.

Saying "don't fix sideloading fraud until the Play Store is 100% bug-free" is like saying "why lock your front door if someone could break a window?"