After taking kid-friendly apps seriously and declaring outdated apps “death”, the latest Google Play Policy Changes they also specify for the first time which applications will be able to install other applications.
Play Store policies have never allowed third-party stores, but so far their policy has never specified which apps they can download and install APKs. I had never taken a strict position on this point until now.
Apps that can install APKs
The new Developer Program Policy update has included the new section “Request installation package permission” with new rules that will come into force from July 11.
Here, the Google Play team states that the REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission that allows an app to request installation of app packages can only be used if your app’s core functionality includes:
- Send or receive application files; Yes
- Enabling user-initiated installation of application packages.
To be more specific, Google specifies that the authorized features include:
- Browsing or searching the web.
- Communication services that support attachments.
- Sharing, transferring or managing files.
- Enterprise device management.
In short, Google won’t allow web browsersapps of Mail service, file managers and applications of enterprise device management to be able to use the authorization of install unknown apps available from Android 6.0 Marshmallow, as these are applications in which it is normal to be able to download apk files. In addition, it will always be the user who manually initiates the installation of an APK,
Other apps and games will not be able to use this permission and therefore will not be able to download APK files. The REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission cannot be used to perform automatic updates, modifications, or bundling of other APK files into the resource file. Given these practices, Google may remove applications and games from its store because it considers them to be malicious.
Through | AndroidPolice
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