Google routinely asks app developers to update their apps to the latest versions of Android. Current Play Store guidelines require new apps to target at least Android 12This is why Google has recently removed hundreds of thousands of abandoned apps from its store.
The problem is that these requirements only apply to apps available on the Google Play Store. Thus, it was always possible to download these applications outside of the official store, and even the latter allowed. redownload a pre-installed app even if it no longer meets the minimum requirements of the system. Fortunately, that should change soon.
Android 14 will change app download rules
9to5Google reports that Android 14 will start completely blocking apps targeting older versions of Android. This change will prevent users from sideloading certain APK files and will also prevent app stores from installing the same apps.
By blocking these obsolete apps, Google clearly intends Blocking the spread of malicious apps on Android, which is a real nuisance for users. Recently, 35% of Android smartphones are at the mercy of hackers, so protecting users of new devices is crucial.
The developer responsible for this change states that some malicious apps intentionally target older versions of Android to bypass certain protections that are only applied to new apps. It is not unusual to see hidden malware in certain applications and these are usually the sum of several million downloads.
For those who still need to install older apps, this will still be possible, but the process will become much more complicated and prevent anyone from accidentally installing a vulnerable app. So you will have to install using a command line and a new “flag” to bypass the new restrictions. Google is expected to detail its plan at the annual Google I/O 2032 conference in the spring.
Source : 9To5Google
