The next version of Android may in some cases prevent you from externally installing old and not updated apps. 9to5Google has detected a code change that states that Android 14 will prevent users from installing apps that don’t target the minimum version of the operating system from outside the Play Store. This change will initially stop specifically legacy software from being installed, but Google plans to “gradually” raise the lower limit to require at least Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
This decision appears to have been taken to increase security and privacy. With this change, malware developers will no longer be able to target older versions of Android to evade security measures in newer versions, Google said. Google currently requires apps in the Play Store to target at least Android 12. This paves the way for him to install legacy apps via the web or third-party stores. That’s what Google wants to prevent.
If there’s an old app that you definitely want to run, this change won’t stop you completely. Enabling this barrier is left to the device manufacturers and you will still be able to install apps via a script. The new policy aims to prevent people from installing malware unknowingly. If you’re externally installing an old app on an Android 14 phone with this measure turned on, you’re probably already fully aware of what you’re doing and the risks.
Still, we can safely say that Google’s limitation of external uploading is remarkable. The ability to install from outside the Play Store is one of the reasons some people prefer an Android phone over an iPhone. However, we can also say that Google’s limitation is not surprising. Android malware developers often, if not always, prefer to take advantage of the ability to install externally, as there are fewer restrictions than in the Play Store. Blocking outdated apps will not put an end to malware, but it will certainly increase the overall security of the platform.
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