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Google’s Play Integrity API lets developers prevent an app from working if it has been sideloaded, and instead prompts users to download from the Google Play Store.
At the recent Google I/O event, Google unveiled the Play Integrity API, an interface that allows developers to ensure that interactions and server requests come from a genuine app binary running on a legitimate Android device. In simple terms, the API lets developers check if the app the user is trying to access was installed from the Google Play Store or sideloaded. It’s officially meant to enhance the safety and security of Android apps.
Generally, it’s very easy to sideload apps on Android, but it can sometimes be unsafe. Sideloaded apps may not always offer the app’s true functionality, and in some cases, they can even harm the Android operating system with malware or poorly implemented code.
How Does the Play Integrity API Determine if an App is Legitimate?
Developers use various parameters to check an app’s legitimacy. These include verifying whether the app’s binary is recognized by Google Play to ensure its authenticity. Additionally, developers can check whether the app has been installed or purchased from Google Play and if it’s running on a genuine Android device powered by Google Play services. When a developer’s app is used on an Android device, the Play Integrity API provides a response that helps the developer determine if the conditions have been met..
If developers detect any red flags, they can decide how to handle the situation. Mishaal Rahman from Android Authority provided an example of how a user might receive a prompt to download the app from the Play Store when attempting to access a sideloaded application.
ChatGPT is one of the few apps, along with Tesco and BeyBlade X, that already uses the Play Integrity API. When users try to access the ChatGPT app that has been sideloaded on a device, they’re presented with a Google Play Store screen prompting them to download the app from that channel.
ChatGPT is also one of the apps using Play Integrity to block sideloading. https://t.co/88xp7Y7PJH pic.twitter.com/W5e4hdMxoU
— AssembleDebug (Shiv) (@AssembleDebug) September 11, 2024
The introduction of the Play Integrity API will make it easier for developers to monitor and take appropriate actions against offending apps and their users. However, the API may also gradually eliminate one of the main reasons users prefer Android over iOS — installing apps that might not be approved in the official app store.
