Of Android 14, the upcoming software update for Android phones, which will be released in the near future, the new system is set to block old apps and sideloading in an effort to prevent customers from contracting malware on their devices. That means that developers who offer games through the Google Play Store either have to move with the times or have nowhere to post their games.
So far, some developers have been able to get around Android and Google Play rules by using older versions of the system to sideload games or perform APK downloads. The new API arriving along with the Android 14 update will make this much more difficult, with more rules about which software version to use.
Thanks to reporting 9to5Google, we know that the first step to remove these malicious apps from Android devices has already been taken, with the Google Play Store getting an update this month to make all apps available only for 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 when Android 14 will arrive on devices, but everything currently points to a release in Q2/Q3 2023. That means you’ll have a few months to decide how to handle the end of sideloading, provided someone isn’t crazy new way to make old apps work. I wouldn’t bet against them though.
There you have it, everything you need to know about the news that Android 14 is ready to make sideloading a thing of the past. For more technical support, check out our What’s Apple Arcade, What’s Slack, and What’s Zoom guides.
