Google reveals its solution for true Android sideloading: a mandatory waiting period

Google has revealed the “advanced flow” that will be required to install certain Android apps once the company introduces mandatory developer verification later this year. The company had initially announced that it would no longer be possible to install apps from unverified developers, and the process announced today is its concession to critics who accused it of killing off app sideloading and making Android less open.

The good news is the new advanced flow is a one-off process that won’t need to be repeated every time a user wants to sideload an app; the bad news is that part of that process includes a mandatory one-day waiting period.

Here’s how Google describes the process in a blog post from Matthew Forsythe, Android’s director of product management and app safety:

Enable developer mode in system settings: Activating this is simple. This prevents accidental triggers or “one-tap” bypasses often used in high-pressure scams.

Confirm you aren’t being coached: There is a quick check to make sure that no one is talking you into turning off your security. While power users know how to vet apps, scammers often pressure victims into disabling protections.

Restart your phone and reauthenticate: This cuts off any remote access or active phone calls a scammer might be using to watch what you’re doing.

Come back after the protective waiting period and verify: There is a one-time, one-day wait and then you can confirm that this is really you who’s making this change with our biometric authentication (fingerprint or face unlock) or device PIN. Scammers rely on manufactured urgency, so this breaks their spell and gives you time to think.

Install apps: Once you confirm you understand the risks, you’re all set to install apps from unverified developers, with the option of enabling for 7 days or indefinitely.