What you need to know
- Google’s new API forces Android apps to be downloaded from the Google Play Store; sideloaded apps won’t work.
- The Play Integrity API helps developers check if apps are on legit devices and if they came from the Play Store.
- The API is already in use by apps like Tesco and BeyBlade X, with advanced techniques to catch sideloading and other issues.
Google appears to be rolling out a fresh API that lets Android developers insist that their apps can only be downloaded from the Google Play Store, and if you sideload an app, it simply won’t function.
At this year's Google I/O conference, the tech giant unveiled the Play Integrity API, a tool designed to help developers confirm if an app is running on a legit Android device and if it was downloaded through the Google Play Store or sideloaded through other means.
According to Android Authority, the Play Integrity API is now being used by a number of Android apps. Mishaal Rahman took a closer look at how this tool helps keep users safe by tackling unauthorized sideloading, a practice that’s been pretty easy to pull off.
With its advanced techniques, the API verifies app authenticity and can jump in to stop problems if it notices any tweaks or strange behavior. It might look basic, but the API takes a multi-layered approach to ensure apps are genuinely legit.
Sideloading apps onto Android devices is usually pretty easy, but it can be risky. These sideloaded apps might not work as well as their official versions and can sometimes introduce malicious software that could harm your operating system.
Developers use various checks to verify if apps are authentic. They check if the app's binary is registered with Google Play, verify it was downloaded from the store, and confirm it’s running on a genuine Android device with Google Play services. When the app is in use, the Play Integrity API gives developers a report to confirm all these criteria are satisfied.
Notable apps using the Play Integrity API include Tesco and BeyBlade X, as per Rahman.
Though there were older ways to detect app issues on Android, this fresh approach streamlines how developers check for compliance and address problems with non-compliant apps.
