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Google’s next mobile operating system (OS), Android 14, will block the side-loading of apps targeting older versions of the software to prevent the spread of malware, online reports have emerged.
The company recently updated the guidelines for the Google Play Store, requiring newly listed apps to be compatible with Android 12 at a minimum.
There is a way around this. Developers that create apps for older versions of Android can get users to side-load APK files manually.
However, a newly posted code change has revealed that Android 14’s Application Programming Interface(API) requirements could be much stricter and block the installation of older apps entirely.
This includes blocking the side-loading of some APK files and installing those same apps through various app stores.
“If the minimum installable software development kit (SDK) version enforcement is enabled, block the install of apps using a lower target SDK version than required,” the changes read.
“This helps improve security and privacy as malware can target older SDK versions to avoid enforcement of new API behaviour.”
It should be noted that Google plans to increase the threshold to Android 6.0 over time. The company added that it has a mechanism to “progressively ramp [it] up”.
However, it will likely be up to individual device manufacturers to decide on a threshold for outdated apps.
Google hopes that blocking outdated apps will help restrict the spread of malware on Android.
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