In order to give more freedom to skilled Android users and independent developers, Google will ease the restrictions that are about to be imposed on sideloading apps. The company had previously announced that from next year, Android users would be blocked from installing apps of unverified developers. The change provoked developers who depend on side-loading for their app distribution and power users who are into sideloading to voice their discontent.

By way of “advanced flow,” Google has responded to the objections raised by the stakeholders. The device is mainly aimed at developers and tech-savvy users who are well familiar with the risks involved in the installation of apps from unknown sources. If a user willingly ignores the warning presented by Google, he or she can still proceed with installing unverified apps by virtue of this flow. The alerts will inform the security risks in details so that the users will, in fact, have a clear understanding of such risks prior to proceeding. Google indicates that it wants the main goal to be kept in mind, i.e. prevent scams and protect average users from malware.

Moreover, Google has set up a preliminary stage for its developer verification program to which developers can be part of. Developers who choose to distribute their apps outside the Play Store can register via the Android Developer Console and get ready for identity verification before the time of enforcement. This move is intended to stop tricking methods where people are led to harming software installations.

However, the new verification process was fretfully thought of as a production of obstacles for student developers and hobbyists. To help them out, Google has spoken of a particular account category with less stringent criteria and no $25 registration fee. Still, apps from these accounts can only be shared with a small number of devices and cannot be published on app stores.

By implementing these new steps, Google is trying to keep the equilibrium between user security and developer liberty, thus guaranteeing that there will still be safe but flexible ways for installing apps on the Android ​‍​‌‍​‍‌platform.

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