Earlier this year, Google said that side-loading apps to your Android device would get slightly more complicated. Now, according to a Reddit post by a company community engagement manager Mishaal Rahman, the changes are starting to roll out on phones and tablets.
The company is calling the new process its “advanced flow,” which is marketing-speak for ‘making something that worked more inconvenient — because we can.’ Google has made a habit of that in recent years, so it’s not entirely unexpected.
Google: how to do it
There are no substantial changes to how side-loading will work on Android devices. As explained in March this year, most of the process remains the same. There are three major differences. First, enabling Developer Mode (and side-loading apps) will prompt its so-called “power users” to make sure they’re not being coerced. Second, the ability to install an unsigned app will see a cool-down period. 24 hours have to pass before you can install that sketchy APK. Finally, the “advanced flow” can be activated for either a week or until further notice. Your call.
According to Rahman, “The advanced flow gives power users the option to install unregistered apps (i.e. apps from developers who choose not to verify their identity) on certified Android devices without the use of ADB.” There are two ways to see this: either Google is protecting users who might be subject to scammers, or it’s inconveniencing its more advanced users to hoover up developer information. Both are (probably) true. It’s difficult to imagine the headache a call centre scammer must endure to convince an 80-year-old to side-load a compromised version of their banking app, however. That said, Google reckons that any developer who has registered their identity won’t have to contend with the new side-load method.
There are one or two more headaches, too. Previously installed side-loaded apps will find their updates blocked by default. That means updates will only work “when the advanced flow is enabled or by using ADB.”
Either way, “advanced flow” is coming. It’s already out for limited distribution accounts. The first users to get it will be those in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, from 30 September this year. Google “will expand verification globally for all app installations on certified Android devices” in 2027.
