Android’s New Advanced Flow: How To Sideload Apps After Google’s 2026 Security Update

Android’s most diehard fans were less than pleased when Google announced plans to limit the sideloading of apps, in an effort to create a more secure platform. The backlash from power users was immediate, with the developers behind the popular third-party app store F-Droid penning a scathing letter denouncing the coming clampdown. Today, fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the company has laid out how it plans to move forward with security best practices while also maintaining Android’s openness.

Matthew Forsythe, Director of Product Management and Android App Safety, says that Google has taken user and community feedback to heart. Leading to new policies and measures that will “ensure these protections are robust yet respectful of platform freedom.” Adding that it means users won’t “have to choose between an open ecosystem and a secure one.”

The solution the company settled on is called Advanced Flow ...