Catalin CimpanuAndroid will require a 24-hour wait before sideloading apps
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/03/android-developer-verification.html
PeterA *one-time* delay when you seek to turn off the protection that stops the user from side-loading apps.
To be honest, given how many security-blind people use Android now, I can live with this.
Time was when Android users were all "power users", like Linux used to be. Those days are long gone.
A bigger issue is Google closing Android off from side-loading apps at all.
alxvstheworld@PeterLG @campuscodi you do realize that closing Android off and this nonsense is the same thing, right?
No, it's not.
The current concept stops a user turning off the side-loading protection and *immediately* loading and running an app from an unknown source — for example, the great-grandfather mentioned — when they don't understand the risks. I have zero problem with that.
Google's ultimate plan is to close off the ability to side-load completely — delayed due to pushback, for now — a funtion that is the biggest differentiator between Android and Apple.