All changes for the Play Store.
Things are changing in the Google Play Store. For users concerned about Android’s constant security warnings, this should be good news – but it’s not.
Recent changes from Google include more complex restrictions on APK uploads to third-party stores, the ability to update apps downloaded through the Play Store, and the collection of user locations to customize content for both marketing purposes and regional censorship. “Your approximate location may be used in certain regions to enforce local content and distribution policies,” Google says. For example, the Play Store is not available in China, but the Apple Store is. And stories of such “local enforcement” abound.
The biggest change is yet to come, but it will have a huge impact. At the end of this month – 21 days from now – Google is expected to start removing tens of thousands of low-quality apps from the Play Store. And while this is disguised as quality control, it’s actually much more about security and privacy. It’s these poorly built, poorly designed, trivial apps that hide malware and invasive privacy violations through device permissions they don’t need and shouldn’t request.
“Apps should provide a stable, responsive, and engaging user experience,” warns Google. “Apps that crash, don’t provide the basic utility of mobile apps, lack engaging content, or exhibit other behavior that is inconsistent with a functional and engaging user experience are not allowed on Google Play.”
By then, we expect to see a more specific timeline for the release of Android 15, which brings with it the other half of the new security equation. AI-powered live threat detection should – at least in theory – detect the types of on-device abuse seen with poorly performing apps, and alert users even when Play Store and Play Protect may not have caught on yet.
The goal of the Google Play Store should be to keep users safe in the first place and ensure that the official Android ecosystem is as walled off as possible. The benchmark was set by Apple. And while the Android fanbase never likes to hear this message, the stark reality is that iPhone users are much safer than their Android counterparts.
So far, so good? Maybe not. Android’s biggest OEM, Samsung, may not be pushing Android 15 out to users as quickly as expected. Whether this is due to testing concerns about the core operating system itself or simply because it’s fallen behind on its own UI updates, we don’t know. But considering Android 15 brings with it a number of security updates – interception, theft, and even scam call protection to complement malware detection – that’s not great news.
There’s also the small matter of the Play Store becoming more and more of a showcase for Google’s advertising, products and services. This, combined with Google’s push to make the Play Store much more focused on all things Android, is controversial to say the least.
Android itself is at a tipping point – the fast and loose dynamic of the ecosystem may finally be coming to an end. Google is making it a little harder for apps from third-party app stores than its own. Ostensibly for technical reasons – APK file sizes – but the result is a more complex process nonetheless.
While this makes sideloading more difficult, another beta update from Google shows that sideloaded apps will soon be able to be updated directly from the Play Store. This will spread the Play Protect net even further across the wider ecosystem. Android Authority explains: “The change may allow users to transfer update ownership for sideloaded apps to the Play Store.”
Overall, the message is clear: the Play Store is the safest and the Play Store is the best.
Despite the delays in Android 15, Samsung has reacted faster than Google and discouraged users from risky sideloading operations. The company has implemented maximum limits on app installations and permissions by default to ensure that users really Really, are sure that they want to sideload apps and are aware of the risks.
Although Google has not gone that far, Is Move. In addition to the drastic changes to the Play Store, it’s also now easier to install apps directly from Chrome, Android’s default browser, if Play Protect is enabled in the Play Store. And if it’s not enabled, the browser will warn you to change your settings. This is all about alignment and control, bringing Android a little closer to the iPhone.
But because all of these changes are happening so quickly and are not completely aligned, it’s hard to say whether the Play Store will actually become more secure. Hopefully – but we’ll have to track the results to know for sure. And beyond security, there’s the small question of user reaction. The Play Store is changing quickly, so let’s see how it goes.
