With Android 14, the upcoming software update for Android phones, set to arrive in the near future, the word is that the new system is set to lock out old apps and sideloading in an attempt to stop customers from contracting malware on their devices. That means that developers who offer games via the Google Play store either need to get with the times or face having nowhere to put its games.
Until now, some developers have been able to sidestep Android and Google Play’s regulations by using older versions of the system to sideload games or run APK downloads. The new API arriving alongside the Android 14 update is set to make this much harder, with more regulations on what version of software you need to be running.
Thanks to reporting from 9to5Google, we know that the first step towards getting these malicious apps off Android devices has already happened, with the Google Play store getting an update this month to make all apps applicable for only Android 12 or later versions. So, if you know you’re running an older version, it’s definitely time to update.
We don’t have an exact date as to when Android 14 is set to arrive on devices, but everything currently points towards a Q2/Q3 2023 release. That means you’ve got a few months to decide how to deal with the end of sideloading, providing someone out there doesn’t find a wacky new way to make old apps work. Though, I wouldn’t bet against them.
There you have it, all you need to know on the news that Android 14 is set to make sideloading a thing of the past. For more tech support, check out our what is Apple Arcade, what is Slack, and what is Zoom guides.
