Google plans to restrict app sideloading on Android from unverified developers starting in 2026, raising concerns among users. While the company cites security, many fear Android is becoming a closed ...

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 ...

Android’s open nature set it apart from the iPhone as the era of touchscreen smartphones began nearly two decades ago. Little by little, Google has traded some of that openness for security, and its ...

However, Samat’s statement did little to assuage people’s fears, as it didn’t explain a key part of the equation: the how. We know what Google wants to do (block Android apps from unverified ...