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WithAndroid 14last year, Google introduced a new warning dialog for users downloading a Google app update from a different source. The behavior is part of the"update ownership" APIin Android 14, which lets app storesclaim ownershipover an app. This meant users would be warned of the potential risks when they sideload an app update from another source. While it was largely believed to be limited to Pixel phones and some Google apps at the time, the warning dialogs are now popping up on non-Pixel phones and non-Google apps as well.
One of our readers saw the warning dialog (pictured below) on their Android 14-basedSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultrawhile sideloading the AccuWeather app. Meanwhile, another AP reader also came across a similar warning on their Galaxy device when updating the Adobe Lightroom app via the Galaxy Store. According to sources, this is because the feature isn’t Pixel-exclusive after all, instead being tied to the rollout of Android 14, which is now reaching other devices.
One of the best aspects of being in the Android ecosystem is the ability to install full-blown apps or app updates from avariety of servicesrather than just the Play Store. However, this makes devices vulnerable to certain issues, like missing out on some features that were present in the previous build.
While it could be annoying to see warnings like this each time you sideload an app update from a different source, the dialog only appears once. Say, for example, you download an app from the Play Store and then sideload an updated version from a service like APKMirror. In this scenario, the dialog will no longer appear for future updates, regardless of which source you used. This is also the case with updates being installed from other app stores, not just with sideloading.
The sideload warning that appeared with Android 14 last year
Given the amount ofthird-party Play Store alternativesout there, one can understand the reasoning behind this particular warning. We’ve seen in the past how some app functionality or features can cease to function when the app is updated to a newer build. So this warning gives you enough information on some of the risks involved in sideloading app updates from a different source.
For people who are well-accustomed to sideloading apps or updates from multiple sources, this should be a non-issue, thanks to the handyUpdate anywaybutton. But for those who are new to the practice of app sideloading, this dialog gives them a chance to reassess their decision. As for safety concerns, Google Play Protect already performsreal-time APK scanningfor sideloaded apps.
It’s unclear if this is widely rolling out at the moment, but I couldn’t get it to work with a non-Google app on my Pixel phone. Keeping this in mind, this could be part of a phased rollout in some countries, with more regions possibly seeing it over the next few weeks.
Thanks:Moshe and Eduardo
UPDATE: 2025-08-05 15:15 EST BY DALLAS THOMAS
Google comments
Since publishing this article, a Google spokesperson has reached out to Android Police with a statement to add clarity about the feature described here. As we suspected, the rollout is tied to Android 14, and the warning evidently isn’t just for sideloaded updates, but rather, any update “from a different store” or source other than the original:
We introducedseveral new APIsin Android 14 that allow app stores, including third-party stores, to improve their user experience.When you install an app from a store, you typically expect to receive automatic updates for the app from that same store. With Android 14, if a storeclaims responsibility for future updatesfor the apps you install through it, then Android ensures that you won’t unexpectedly receive updates for these apps from a different store.You can still allow your apps to be updated from other sources if desired, including via sideloading, through the new confirmation dialog. As stores, including Google Play, adopt the Android 14 change, users who subsequently update apps from different sources may notice this message.
