Google introduces a mandatory waiting period for authentic Android sideloading.

Google has outlined the new “advanced flow” that will be necessary for installing certain Android apps once it rolls out mandatory developer verification later this year. Initially, the company announced that apps from unverified developers would no longer be installable, and this new process is a response to critics who claimed it would hinder app sideloading and reduce Android’s openness.

The silver lining is that this advanced flow is a one-time setup, meaning users won’t have to go through it every time they want to sideload an app. However, the downside is that it includes a mandatory one-day waiting period.

Here’s a breakdown of the process as described by Google:

– **Enable developer mode in system settings**: This step is straightforward and helps prevent accidental changes or “one-tap” bypasses that are often exploited in scams.
– **Confirm you aren’t being coached**: A quick check ensures that no one is pressuring you to disable your security settings. While experienced users know how to assess apps, scammers often manipulate victims into lowering their defenses.
– **Restart your phone and reauthenticate**: This step disconnects any remote access or ongoing calls that a scammer might be using to monitor your actions.
– **Return after the waiting period and verify**: After a one-day wait, you’ll need to confirm your identity using biometric authentication (like fingerprint or face unlock) or your device PIN. This waiting period is designed to counteract the urgency tactics used by scammers, giving you time to think.
– **Install apps**: Once you acknowledge the risks, you can proceed to install apps from unverified developers, with the option to enable this for either 7 days or indefinitely. You’ll still receive a warning about the app being from an unverified source, but you can choose to “Install Anyway.”

Why all these steps and the waiting period? Google aims to create a “high-friction” process to protect users from inadvertently installing unsafe apps. The company is framing sideloading as a privilege for “power users” for this reason.

Google first announced its developer verification requirements last August, which will eventually mandate that developers provide their legal name, address, email, phone number, and sometimes a government ID. Once these requirements are fully implemented, the advanced installation flow will be one of the few ways to install apps from developers who haven’t completed the verification process. Google will also offer limited options for students and hobbyists to share their apps with up to 20 people without needing to provide a government ID or pay a registration fee.

The registration requirements have faced significant backlash from some developers. The Keep Android Open campaign issued a warning in an open letter last month, stating that mandatory registration “threatens innovation, competition, privacy, and user freedom,” raising concerns about barriers to entry and legal risks. ImranR98, the developer behind the open-source app update tool Obtainium, described the move as “a massive overreach” and “an effective ban on general-purpose mobile computing worldwide.”

Verification is currently in early access, with Google expecting to open it to all developers soon. While it remains optional for now, it will become mandatory for developers of apps released in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand starting in September, with global requirements set to roll out by 2027. Google plans to make the advanced installation flow available in August, ahead of the mandatory registration, allowing “power users” to set it up and navigate the 24-hour delay in advance.

Additionally, Google is set to launch a “Registered App Stores” program outside the US by the end of the year, allowing third-party publishers to create their own stores, which will also adhere to trust and safety standards. In the US, Google is working towards enabling rival app stores within its own Google Play Store, pending any decisions from Judge James Donato.