One of the key features of Android is the freedom to install apps from any source. You can do so via the Play Store, alternative app stores, or APK files. However, Google is providing developers with a new tool to force app downloads from the Play Store.
Perhaps you’ve recently tried to sideload a particular app but only received a screen inviting you to download it from the Play Store. Well, this is due to a new Android API that developers can implement in their apps. The API basically prevents you from using the app if you didn’t download it from the Play Store. Google announced the tool at Google I/O in May under the name “Play Integrity API.”
Android’s Play Integrity API can force app downloads from Play Store
Google grants a “license” to apps approved for the Play Store. Apparently, this license is built into the app’s code, as the Play Integrity API tries to find it once you run it. If the API doesn’t find it, there’s no way to use the app unless you download it from the Play Store. This can be problematic for apps that aren’t available in certain regions. This new behavior is not by default, as it requires the app developer to implement the API.
Disabling Google Play Protect won’t solve the problem
If you choose to install the app from the Play Store after receiving the warning, the device will remove the sideloaded one. However, if the app isn’t available on your region’s Play Store, you simply won’t be able to use it. Even disabling Google Play Protect won’t help you solve this, so the implementation of the security system seems deeper and more complex than usual.
There aren’t too many apps with the Play Integrity API yet. However, it’s present in some big and popular ones, like ChatGPT. It has also been implemented by Tesco, BeyBlade X, and Diablo Immortal developers.
