Android apps are blocking sideloading and forcing Google Play versions instead
arstechnica.com
"Select Play Partners" can block unofficial installation of their apps.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/42024710

Android apps are blocking sideloading and forcing Google Play versions instead

You might sideload an Android app, or manually install its APK package, if you're using a custom version of Android that doesn't include Google's Play Store. Alternately, the app might be experimental, under development, or perhaps no longer maintained and offered by its developer. Until now, the existence of sideload-ready APKs on the web was something that seemed to be tolerated, if warned against, by Google.

This quiet standstill is being shaken up by a new feature in Google's Play Integrity API. As reported by Android Authority, developer tools to push "remediation" dialogs during sideloading debuted at Google's I/O conference in May, have begun showing up on users' phones. Sideloaders of apps from the British shop Tesco, fandom app BeyBlade X, and ChatGPT have reported "Get this app from Play" prompts, which cannot be worked around. An Android gaming handheld user encountered a similarly worded prompt from Diablo Immortal on their device three months ago.

Google's Play Integrity API is how apps have previously blocked access when loaded onto phones that are in some way modified from a stock OS with all Google Play integrations intact. Recently, a popular two-factor authentication app blocked access on rooted phones, including the security-minded GrapheneOS. Apps can call the Play Integrity API and get back an "integrity verdict," relaying if the phone has a "trustworthy" software environment, has Google Play Protect enabled, and passes other software checks.

Graphene has questioned the veracity of Google's Integrity API and SafetyNet Attestation systems, recommending instead standard Android hardware attestation. Rahman notes that apps do not have to take an all-or-nothing approach to integrity checking. Rather than block installation entirely, apps could call on the API only during sensitive actions, issuing a warning there. But not having a Play Store connection can also deprive developers of metrics, allow for installation on incompatible devices (and resulting bad reviews), and, of course, open the door to paid app piracy.

  • Teknikal@eviltoast.org
    ·
    3 months ago

    Google's gone full evil between this and all the YouTube ruining.

    I've bought apps on Google Play where I've had to download the apk elsewhere because of restrictions like scoped storage making them almost unusable.

    Neutron music players one example where they have to keep an apk on their own site to get round Google restrictions. as scoped storage is about 20 times slower not to mention a real hassle. PPSSPP is another example and probably a lot of emulators were folder access is kind of important.

  • 𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖘@infosec.pub
    ·
    3 months ago

    Is the Aurora store affected by this? Technically, it downloads it from Play Store, doesn't it? So it shouldn't be affected, right?

    • Moonrise2473@feddit.it
      ·
      3 months ago

      Yes as the API is checking from where it has been installed. If the installer isn't the play store app, then the same APK installed manually, would give an error.

      It is going to be an incredible hassle to install geofenced apps

  • zod000@lemmy.ml
    ·
    3 months ago

    I think calling it an anti-piracy measure is being too generous to Google. This is their slimy way to try to get around the measures the EU is enforcing and just to keep their control in general. Every update Google makes to Android brings it further from what I liked about it when it was new.

  • jaxiiruff@lemmy.zip
    ·
    3 months ago

    This was definitely done to spite GrayJay no doubt about it since they clearly state in the app to download the version from the website rather than the play version.

  • ccdfa@lemm.ee
    ·
    3 months ago

    If this stops revanced from working it will be my push to install grapheneos. I don't need the wallet function really.

    • Draconic NEO@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      ·
      3 months ago

      The mount method using root will still work since it writes over the app rather than installing it as an update, will still seem like it was installed from play, same way it still thinks it's google signed in that state.

      • ccdfa@lemm.ee
        ·
        3 months ago

        Because I do like the wallet function. I just don't need it. But I greatly prefer an ad free life to the convenience of wallet.

    • MrSoup@lemmy.zip
      ·
      3 months ago

      This is an API, so the app must use this. F-Droid apps will never use this.

  • Moonrise2473@feddit.it
    ·
    3 months ago

    What if the apps are installed via adb using

    pm install -i "com.android.vending" /sdcard/yourapp.apk

    ?

    For the system then the app has been installed from the play store

    Or it checks online to see if the current user has a (free?) license?