As announced a couple of weeks ago, power users always have an option to enable sideloading of unregistered APK files through an advanced flow that requires an authentication step to confirm they are taking this step of their own volition and a one-off, 24-hour waiting period to deter scammers.
Sure. That’s the reason why they’re introducing a 24-hour delay. Not because they want to make it miserable so people stop side loading.
You know what. Fuck Linda Park, fuck this ass-kissing Google loving article. “designed to protect users from malicious software and scams” and the article keeps this tone throughout. This is not about protecting users! It’s about tightening the grip on control of the app ecosystem.
Consider android authoritys article https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-sideloading-unverified-apps-new-rules-3650343/
That at least has a little survey where you can express your take on this change
If you want a better perspective of the real impact of this for devs :
https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/24/google_android_developer_verification_plan/Man, I hate the term ‘sideloading’. It’s just installing an app, for fuck’s sake.
I just sideloaded a applications on windows using a .exe and running through the installation wizard. Microsoft must hate me for not using the Windows Store /s
No /s required. Knowing Microslop, this is only a matter of
timeenshittification.Microsoft must hate me for not using the Windows Store /s
Well actually…
It’s distinctly different from just installing an app.
What? To ‘sideload’ an app, I do the following:
- Open F-droid
- Search for an app
- Tap the install button
How is that different from the Google Play workflow?
The process is different the first time you install an app, regardless of from where. And you know this. Its also detailed in the OP. I’m not sure why you’re pretending not to, except to be a contrarian.
It’s distinctly different from just installing an app *via the play store
But is otherwise just installing an app.
Do I “sideload” Steam on windows too if I don’t go through the microsoft store?
But is otherwise just installing an app.
Yes, other than being different.
Do I “sideload” Steam on windows too if I don’t go through the microsoft store?
No because there’s no functional difference.
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Please do elaborate on this functional difference the play store has and the microsoft version doesn’t. I’m a little lost here.
I can use my F-Droid apps just as well as their play store counterparts.
Check out the OP, lots of good info there about the differences.
I remain as lost as I was.
The only differences I noticed are the ones google is forcing through with their new “advanced flow”, but that does not constitute a “functional difference”.
LOL you are grasping at straws so hard and I don’t know why. Of course it’s functionally different. I don’t know how you could possibly assemble an argument otherwise.
I mean, at the going rate of online freedom… Give it a month
How so?
Check out the article in OP.
I checked and it doesn’t answer the question.
Its literally the topic of the entire article, from beginning to end. You can’t possibly have read it and still not understand this.
We just have to normalize something worse sounding for installing apps from the play store. “I can’t believe you sloploaded Signal after I told you about Molly!”
Slop is overused, how about slaveloaded, sheeploaded
Better yet: “how can you live like that?”
People forget that it’s called sideloading because, in the beginning, most android apps were sold without the ability to install 3rd party apks. You had to use adb to sideload the apk to the phone.
adb sideloadis for installing an OS or OS update. The command to install an app isadb install.Uh oh, someone tell the Android devs that is isn’t Newthink compliant.
They weren’t discussing the command they were discussing the action.
Hmmm. Where does the action name come from 🤔
Wat
*downloading
What about apps that are already installed? Are they going to be blocked from running a soon as I upgrade?
My launcher is from F-Droid.
Good thing people on GrapheneOS, LineageOS and other Android OSs don’t have to worry about this
…yet.Edit: striking the “…yet” portion as it’s irrelevant.
You can lose the ‘yet’. These projects aren’t going to implement this, so we’re good.
Good thing google is simultaneously slow-rolling aosp releases
