Submitted 7 hours ago by real_username56@lemmy.ml to technology@lemmy.world
https://9to5google.com/2026/03/19/android-advanced-flow-sideloading/
I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software i encounter on people’s phones come from the play store or app store
I will believe that they’re serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam solitaire and weather apps infesting their stores
So, the idea is to make the process as annoying as possible.
No. It’s to make it very annoying. It’s not as annoying as possible, because it could always be more annoying.
“This is Android’s new ‘advanced flow’ for INSTALLING apps without verification”. Sideloading is such a bullshit term made only to confuse consumers. They can wrap that in sparkling wrapper, but it’s still security theater at best and definetly misleading. Apps from F-Droid or any other app ‘store’ are not any less safe than the ones at googles own offering.
The advanced flow is not for “installing apps”. It’s for sideloaded apps.
Semantics, no? Side loading is an alternate way of installing.
Do usual dev.mod.shut…
You then have to confirm that you aren’t being coached/guided/instructed by a bad actor to turn off the security measures.
This is followed by a device restart and re-authentication that “cuts off any remote access or active phone calls a scammer might be using to watch what you’re doing.”
A required “Security wait” takes one day to “confirm that this is really you who’s making this change with our biometric authentication (fingerprint or face unlock) or device PIN.” This is a one-time wait.
Afterwards, you can install apps from unverified developers indefinitely, while there’s also a 7-day “Turn on temporarily” option.
I don’t think the wait is necessary. If someone were to continue being scammed after a reboot, they’d continue to be scamme tomorrow. An additional education piece after the reboot would be more effective.
They already showed their hand. Doesn’t matter if they’ve backed down. My new phone is going to use GrapheneOS and if this shit trickles down (Graphene is still based on Android) I’m going full Linux phone.
Graphene has explicitly stated that it will never accept this as a part of their operating system
At this point it is a waiting game. My next phone might be Android, but I sure hope the mobile Linux ecosystem is in a good place for the one after that. Preferably I’d switch on nearest opportunity though. I still have some time left in terms of support for my current phone so I have time to think and test the waters.
You can’t sideload on Linux
Yeah, it’s just called installing.
Installing. We just call it installing.
Is there EU petition against this already?
Completely unacceptable. Do away with this horseshit entirely or I’m out.
To where?
Headline is a little misleading. There is a One day waiting period when you enable installing third party applications. After that you can install them indefinitely. It’s to stop active scams. I agree it’s BS, but it’s a lot less BS than I was expecting and what the headline/comments are making it out to be.
What active scams? These scams should be pretty ubiquitous at this point if they’re doing all this to “stop” them, but I’ve never even heard of anyone having security issues from sideloaded apps.
I don’t agree that tech companies need to put up walled gardens to protect people from themselves, but ‘what scams’ is insanely disingenuous. Obviously the scams where people, usually elderly, are walked through the process of enabling third party apps so the scammer, posing as a bank or other trusted institution, can then install malicious apps. If you’ve really never heard of that then I think you need to step outside of your bubble a bit more.
Okay but what’s stopping the scammer from telling you to install his app from the play store which is less trustworthy than, say, f-droid?
They would never admit to the play store malware problem.
So it needs developer mode huh, plenty of apps dont work with that on, truly awful even if i can turn it back off after.
Even if it’s only a thing that needs to be done once: Either the one-day delay has to go, or Google.
There’s nothing redeeming about their plans.
Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 7 hours ago
A one day wait period to install an app on your mobile pocket computer. Fucken bullshit.
1995ToyotaCorolla@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
Well if you’re in the US you can head down to your LGS, buy a Glock 19 and do some plinking while you wait for the software to install on your phone :/
AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
I mean always starts with an inch but what people dont get is that compared to the 2000’s we are a mile deep and compared to rhe 80’s we are already in a dystopia.
Dojan@pawb.social 4 hours ago
It used to be no time at all. You could just do it. From that perspective they’ve already taken a mile.
frongt@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
From zero to anything is infinite miles
Nester@feddit.uk 7 hours ago
It appears that the “security wait” will be a one time thing when you first allow installing from unverified sources. After enabling it it will remain on indefiniately.
Not quite as bad as I was fearing, but will kinda annoying.
potustheplant@feddit.nl 6 hours ago
“Not quire as bad”? My dude, you have to ask for permission from a corporation to installa an app on your phone that you supposedly own and paid for. On what planet is this not awful?
magguzu@lemmy.pt 4 hours ago
Until you have to help someone install an app not available to them.
Xfinity stream for example is not on the Chromecast play store, even though an Android build exists on the Fire TV store. I had to guide my dad through this. In this case it wouldn’t be possible for 24 hours.
Had a similar issue with an app not available in a friend’s region.
I could live with the whole flow minus the delay. This is shit, just pure shit.
sonofearth@lemmy.world 1 hour ago
sushhh… the shareholders’ imaginary line has to go up.
hydrashok@sh.itjust.works 7 hours ago
I think it is a reasonable compromise. They could have made it a day wait for any and every time you wanted to side load like this. It prevents accidental or malicious activation, while also giving you the feature you want with the smallest of roadblocks as confirmation you want it.
TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
People this willing to let a corporate, self-enriching nanny state erode their ability to use the products they paid for terrify me.
grte@lemmy.ca 7 hours ago
I don’t need google telling me what I can put on this fucking phone I bought and paid for.
UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 7 hours ago
What is it a compromise between? People who think they own the thing they paid for and people who don’t?
Luminous5481@anarchist.nexus 6 hours ago
A reasonable compromise would be not telling people what they can and can’t do on devices they paid for. If Google wants that level of control, they can buy my phone for me.
meme_historian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 hours ago
No. Fuck all of that. I will not have some fucking Corp tell me what I can install and when on my own goddamn hardware.
If they want to implement something like this, make it an opt-in toggle during device setup to put the phone into nanny mode
alekwithak@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
One day wait period to enable installing third party apps. Afterwards no extra wait time or verification.
MrQuallzin@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
For now. Don’t fight to give them an inch