For all of us Android fans, sideloading apps — installing APKs from outside the Google Play Store — has always been the crown jewel of our open-source empire. It’s one of the major perks Android users love to flaunt over iOS users. But, just like that, Google is tightening the leash again with Android 15. And while the official story is all about “fighting malware,” there’s more to this crackdown than meets the eye.
Sure, Google says it’s about protecting users from malicious apps that come through shady APKs, but let’s not kid ourselves. There’s a big push to drive users back to the Play Store, where apps are officially vetted (and, let’s not forget, Google gets a cut of the revenue). What’s more, unofficial apps — think WhatsApp forks like WhatsApp+ and GBWhatsApp — have been a thorn in the side of companies like Meta for years. These unofficial versions, all available outside the Play Store, have been eating into the market of official apps, offering features that legit versions didn’t, and guess what? Google isn’t happy about that.
In the past, apps like WhatsApp+ and GBWhatsApp became wildly popular, attracting users with customizations that the official WhatsApp didn’t offer. Naturally, Meta cracked down on these forks, banning them left and right, but they kept popping up through sideloading. Now, Android 15’s latest restrictions on sideloading seem to be yet another nail in the coffin for these kinds of apps. Google’s making sure that apps installed from random websites won’t have access to powerful permissions like accessibility, notification listener, device admin, display over other apps, usage access, or even default SMS privileges, all of which are critical for apps like these to operate.
While this all sounds like it’s for your safety — stopping rogue apps from abusing sensitive permissions like reading your messages or tracking your usage — it’s also a calculated move to nudge you toward ditching those APKs and going official. After all, if you’re blocked from granting certain permissions to a sideloaded app, you might just decide it’s easier to download the official version from the Play Store, right?
Let’s be real, Google’s crackdown isn’t just about malware. It’s also about control. By making it harder for you to use these “unofficial” apps, they’re pushing you away from installing APKs and back into their ecosystem. The Play Store is where they want you to be — where apps are vetted, controlled, and of course, where Google gets its revenue cut.
Android 15’s new restrictions are an expansion of the “restricted settings” feature first introduced in Android 13, which already made it tough for sideloaded apps to get their hands on critical permissions. With Android 15, Google’s taking it up a notch. And while there’s still a way to manually enable these settings, it’s pretty clear Google doesn’t want you to bother.
So, while the “malware prevention” angle is valid — no one wants to end up with a compromised device — the move also feels like Google is quietly pushing users to stick with the apps they approve of. Forks like WhatsApp+ and other rogue APKs? They’re a dying breed under these new restrictions, and Google’s not shedding any tears over that.
In short, if you’ve been sideloading APKs for years, prepare for a few more hoops to jump through. It’s getting harder and harder to install those unofficial apps, and that’s exactly how Google wants it. They’re not just combating malware — they’re making sure the Play Store remains the go-to place for all your apps.
