Google recently decided that the freedom provided by Android was too much and developer review announceda system that would require developers outside the Google Play platform to register with Google. Users and developers did not accept Google's arguments and complained loudly. As Google begins early access testing, it acknowledged that “power users” should have an escape route.
According to GoogleOnline fraud and malware campaigns are becoming more aggressive, and despite the scary side-loading screens, real harm is being done. Google says scammers often use social engineering to create a false sense of urgency, enticing users to bypass Android's built-in security to install malicious apps.
Google's solution to this problem, as announced a few months ago, is to force everyone who creates apps to verify their identity. Unverified apps will not be installed on any Google-certified device once the review begins. Without this, the company claims, malware creators can endlessly create new scam apps. However, the centralized nature of the review threatened to introduce a host of problems into a process that had previously been simple for experienced users.
This is not the first time Google has had to abandon its plans. Each time a company releases new verification information, it makes even more compromises. It was previously confirmed that possibility of free verification will be available to hobbyists and students who want to install applications on a small number of devices. He also acknowledged that installation via ADB via a connected computer will still be allowed.
Now Google has had to admit that its verification plans are causing major backlash among developers and people who know what an APK is. So there will be an alternative, but we don’t yet know how it will work.
How high is your risk tolerance?
Google's latest review update explains that the company has received a lot of feedback from users and developers who want to be able to sideload apps without worrying about review status. For those with a “higher risk tolerance,” Google is exploring ways to make this possible. This is a partial win for power users, but the nature of Google's “advanced process” for sideloading apps is unclear.
