Google warns millions of Android users – do not install these apps

Make no mistake—Google is bringing Android closer to the iPhone. The diehards in the Android fan club may not like me pointing this out, but that doesn’t make it any less true. That doesn’t mean Android isn’t innovative, or that the iPhone isn’t inspired by it; it does mean that when it comes to security, Android is climbing the mountain that has long been the great divide between the two ecosystems.

And so it is with a new warning that is set to start appearing on millions of phones as the latest update to the core Play platform that Android is based on goes live. It further cracks down on sideloading and the glaring security holes it breaches on Android devices around the world.

How Android Power explains, “The Google Play Integrity API allows apps to check if your account is ‘unlicensed,’ meaning that you did not install or purchase the app from Google Play. More importantly, the app can then present a repair dialog that tells them they need to download the app from Google Play to continue using it.”

The change means apps can check to see if Play Protect is running on a device, which is increasingly being touted as Android users’ primary defense against the malware scourge that continues to plague devices. Apps can check the integrity of a device and installation at any point, assuming this will happen during installation, launch, and possibly during sensitive transactions.

The change was unveiled during Google I/O in May, with the company explaining that developers can “call the Integrity API at important points in an app to verify that user actions and requests are coming from an unmodified app binary installed via Google Play, running on a genuine Android device.” According to Android Authority, “some games already use this to block sideloading.”

If the Integrity API flags the app, the user will be warned that the app is an “unrecognized version” and that it “will be removed along with all associated data.” Google is taking this update seriously because it strengthens the security around Play; not only does it prevent users from bypassing these warnings, but it also flags non-Play installs for app developers so they can decide whether to continue allowing access.

Add that to the other security improvements coming with Android 15, and it’s clear that the door to stable will finally be closed. “It’s going to get harder and harder to justify rooting Android for power users,” he says The Power of Android. “At the same time, ordinary users will be better protected from potentially risky and fraudulent interactions.”

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The latest news follows Samsung’s even more stringent clampdown on sideloading, which has made the decision to restrict its devices to maximum by default. The challenge for die-hard Android users will be to find the right balance, allowing for more relaxed behavior than the iPhone while still protecting the vast majority of everyday users. And while Android warnings still appear on a monthly basis, particularly in relation to non-Play Store installs, it’s clear that this is much-needed and long overdue.

More and more apps are expected to use the Play Integrity feature, which, according to a report by Android Authority, “is already used by many popular apps on Google Play, including Stripe, Uber, and TikTok.”

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Switching to the Play Store isn’t a magic wand, as there are plenty of examples of malicious apps there. However, it’s much safer than any third-party store or direct installation. Its defenses are also bolstered by two new Google innovations that combine to change the rules of the game for Android users.

First, Google’s plan to remove low-quality apps from the Play Store should significantly raise the bar and eliminate much of the worthless content that clutters users’ phones. Second, the introduction of live threat detection in Android 15, which uses on-device AI to flag app behavior that could indicate malware or other threats.

All in all, it’s a bold new world for Android. But can it really bridge the security and privacy gap with the iPhone – watch this space…