Google Unveils New Android Sideloading Process with Mandatory Waiting Period

The company has revealed its solution to critics’ concerns about app sideloading, introducing an “advanced flow” that will require users to wait for a day before installing certain apps from unverified developers. Users won’t need to repeat the process every time they want to sideload an app, but the new method involves a one-day waiting period as part of the advanced verification flow. The announcement comes after Google initially announced that it would no longer allow installation of apps from unverified developers, sparking concerns about the openness of its Android platform. Google’s decision to include a mandatory waiting period is seen as a compromise between the company’s efforts to improve app security and critics who accused the move of stifling user freedom.