F-Droid Warns Google's 24-Hour Sideload Delay Threatens Android App Store
Updated
Updated · Lifehacker · Jul 21
F-Droid Warns Google's 24-Hour Sideload Delay Threatens Android App Store
2 articles · Updated · Lifehacker · Jul 21
Summary
F-Droid says Google's tighter rules for apps installed outside the Play Store pose an "existential threat" to its repository and has launched a campaign page seeking user support.
A key change due in several months would force a 24-hour wait for each sideloaded app install, while adding more developer verification and reducing privacy for app makers.
The nonprofit store has long offered free and open-source Android apps with transparent code and permissions, positioning itself as a privacy-focused alternative to Google Play despite lacking Play Store protections.
The dispute highlights a broader shift in Android's openness: sideloading will remain allowed, but the process is set to become more cumbersome for alternative app stores and their users.