A 24-hour waiting period just to install an app you already chose to download. That’s the reality for Android users in four countries right now, and it could be coming to your market sooner than you think.
As reported by Android Headlines, Google’s new sideloading rules are officially active in Brazil, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. The system is called ‘Advanced Flow’, and it applies to any Android device running Android 7 or later in those regions. So yeah, that’s a lot of phones.
What you actually have to do now
It’s not a ban. Google isn’t blocking sideloading outright, but the process has definitely gotten more annoying. Here’s what users in affected countries now need to do:
- Enable Developer Options by tapping the build number seven times in settings
- Go into Developer Options and turn on the sideloading permission
- Authenticate and restart the device
- Wait 24 hours before installing apps from unregistered developers
Once that waiting period is over, you can sideload freely for either seven days or indefinitely, depending on which option you pick. The indefinite setting does reset after a factory reset, but for most people that’s rarely a problem.
Which app stores are actually approved
Not every third-party store triggers this extra process. Google has a list of authorized stores that bypass the restrictions entirely. Right now that includes Google Play Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, HONOR App Market, OPPO App Market, Xiaomi GetApps, vivo V-Appstore, and Transsion Palm Store. So if you’re sticking to those, you won’t notice a difference.
Why users are skeptical
Google’s official reason for all this is scam prevention. And honestly, that’s not nothing. Scammers in Southeast Asia and Latin America have used sideloaded apps to steal from people at scale. Still, the Android community isn’t exactly celebrating.
The concern is familiar: today it’s a 24-hour wait, tomorrow it’s something worse. Android has always had sideloading as a core advantage over iOS, and any friction added to that process feels like a step in the wrong direction, even if the intentions are defensible.
Google has confirmed this will expand to more countries soon. If you’re not in the affected regions yet, don’t get too comfortable.