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Android Apps Can Now Block Sideloading, Force Downloads Through Google Play

Android Authority's Mishaal Rahman reports: There are many reasons why you may want to sideload apps on your Android phone, but there are also good reasons why developers would want to block sideloading. A sideloaded app won't contribute to the developer's Play Store metrics, for one, but it also p...

Whatever the reason may be, developers who want to stop you from sideloading their apps now have an easier way to do so thanks to the Play Integrity API. The Play Integrity API makes it easy for apps to offload the determination of whether the device and its software environment are "genuine," and with the latest update to the API, apps can now easily determine whether the person who installed them is "genuine" as well. "At the same time, regular users will be better protected from potentially risky and fraudulent interactions, so it's clear that Play Integrity will continue to be adopted by more and more apps."

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