Enlarge / It's never explained what this collection of app icons quite represents. A disorganized app you tossed together by sideloading? A face that's frowning because it's rolling down a bar held up by app icons? It's weird, but not quite evocative.

As Android Authority explains, “the Google Play Integrity API lets apps check whether your account is ‘unlicensed’, meaning you didn’t install or buy the app from Google Play. More importantly, the app can then show a remediation dialog that tells you they have to download the app from Google Play to continue using it.”

Google appears to be rolling out a fresh API that lets Android developers insist that their apps can only be downloaded from the Google Play Store, and if you sideload an app, it

Android 15 places new restrictions on what permissions sideloaded apps can be easily granted. Here's what you need to know.

Back in Android 13, Google introduced a new layer of protection against potentially malicious sideloaded apps by preventing them from accessing features designed for accessibility. However, if the user wanted to,

Google aims to align with the EUs DMA by ensuring third-party app stores are as functional and secure as the Play Store. The changes encourage users to use trusted app stores rather than downloading APKs from unverified sources.

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.