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 ...

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 ...

One feature that makes Android so special is the freedom to sideload APK (Android Package Kit) files, letting you install compatible apps outside the Play Store. The good news is that sideloading ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

A hot potato: Apple's infamous "walled garden" approach is often cited as an example of limiting consumer freedom, but it seems the Android ecosystem is erecting restrictive fences as well. The most ...