To reduce the likelihood of malware, Android 14 will begin to completely block the installation of apps that target outdated versions of Android.
While Android 13 was recently released, Google is already gearing up to release the newer Android 14. The expected developer preview should be available in the coming months – so the company must already be preparing some code ahead of the public release! One of those code changes has just been discovered – it seems that with Android 14 installed on your device, it won’t allow you to install outdated apps (apps that target outdated versions of Android). This change would prevent users from sideloading certain APK files and would also prevent app stores from installing those same apps.
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9to5Google recently found a code change that was intended to restrict the API conditions for installing apps. The excerpt reads: “If enabled, this feature will block any software with an SDK version lower than the required one—thereby improving user security and privacy , as malicious programs can sometimes bypass new API rules by exploiting older SDK versions.” Android 14 will initially only block older API levels, but is expected to increase this limit to Android 6, in order to prevent any apps that target outdated Android versions from being installed on device , even when attempted via sideloading.
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Before you start feeling frustrated, there is a solution if a once supported app has been discontinued. According to a report by 9to5Google, the solution to your problem lies in enabling a new flag using the ADB command shell.
Obviously, the main motivation behind this change is to prevent malware from infiltrating unsuspecting users. Unfortunately, hackers have become quite adept at tricking people into downloading their apps with convincing instructions. By prohibiting the installation of apps without using ADB, we can effectively reduce the opportunities for malicious actors to exploit these loopholes.
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This change is not unexpected. Google previously required developers to focus their updates on newer versions of Android when they intended to continue publishing them on the Play Store. This regulation, however, does not currently apply to side-loaded apps – thus leaving malicious entities and malware with a loophole that allows them to evade detection by simply avoiding the Play Store altogether – which is already the case for most malware anyway.
Information source: androidpolice.com
