By TecRounder
Make no mistake: Google is bringing Android closer to iPhone. Hardcore Android fans may dislike it when I point this out, but it is still true. That is not to say that Android isn’t inventive or that iPhone doesn’t draw inspiration from it; it simply means that when it comes to security, Android is climbing the mountain that has long been the big barrier between the two ecosystems.
And so it is with a new warning that is about to strike millions of phones as the latest upgrade to the core Play platform that powers Android is released. This significantly restricts sideloading and the security flaws it exposes in Android devices worldwide.
According to Android Authority, “the Google Play Integrity API allows apps to check whether your account is ‘unlicensed’, which means you did not install or purchase the app from Google Play.” More significantly, the app can then display a remediation dialogue informing you that they must download the app from Google Play to continue using it.”
The change allows apps to check if Play Protect is running on a device, which is increasingly being marketed as Android users’ primary defence against the scourge of malware that continues to plague devices. Apps can check the integrity of a device and an installation at any time, with the expectation that this will happen during installation, launch, and, most likely, when important transactions occur.
This change was previewed at Google I/O in May, with the company explaining that developers can “call the Integrity API at important moments in your app to check that user actions and requests are coming from your unmodified app binary, installed by Google Play, and running on a genuine Android device.” According to Android Authority, this “is already being used by some games to block sideloading.”
If the Integrity API flags the app, the user will be informed that it is a “unrecognised version” and that it will be destroyed, along with any associated data. Google is taking this upgrade seriously as it strengthens Play’s defences; not only does it prohibit users from ignoring these warnings, but it also alerts app developers about non-Play installations, allowing them to decide whether to continue allowing access.
When combined with the other security enhancements included in Android 15, it is evident that the stable door has finally been secured. “Power users will find it increasingly difficult to justify rooting Android,” according to Android Authority. “Simultaneously, regular users will be better protected from potentially risky and fraudulent interactions.”
This latest development followed Samsung’s even stricter crackdown on sideloading, which included a decision to default to maximum restrictions on its devices. The difficulty for the hardcore Android user base will be to strike the appropriate balance, allowing looser behaviours than the iPhone while protecting the overwhelming majority of everyday users. And, while Android alerts continue to appear every month, particularly for non-Play Store installs, it’s evident that this is much needed and overdue.
According to Android Authority, Play Integrity “is already used by numerous popular apps on Google Play, including Stripe, Uber, and TikTok.” More apps are expected to embrace it.
Shifting more entirely to the Play Store is not a panacea, as there are several cases of fraudulent apps available there as well. But it’s significantly safer than any third-party store or straight install. Its defences are further strengthened by two notable new Google inventions, all of which work together to change the game for Android users.
The first is Google’s aim to remove low-quality apps from the Play Store, which should significantly raise the bar and eliminate much useless information cluttering consumers’ phones. The second feature introduced with Android 15 is active threat detection, which uses on-device AI to highlight app behaviours that may indicate malware or other risks.
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