Android 14 is nearing its launch, and while October still might seem like it is far, one thing is for sure we are going to get our hands on some really nice features in the upcoming Android version. Now, it is obvious that Google is not going for a visual overhaul and will protect security and privacy more. A new feature has surfaced that shows how sideloading on the new Android version could change.

Google really wants to protect your phone from sideloading the wrong apps on Android 14

Based on the report from Android Police, Android 14 will add the ability for app stores to claim "update ownership" over specific apps. This means that if you are an impatient individual who cannot wait for an update to launch in their region and chooses to sideload the update from any website, you will see a message telling you where the update normally originates from. However, it doesn't break the sideloading completely since you can still ignore the message.

Now, you won't be seeing this change in Android 14 across the board. It is obviously going to start with Google apps. It may or may not expand to other apps later, but at the time of writing, we cannot say for sure, but we will keep you posted if that ever happens. This is how the message reads at the moment when you try to sideload a Google app.

This is definitely something that looks good as a feature because we would want to be sure that Android 14 protects our devices from any issues that could come in the way of how they function. Sideloading might be a benefit, but it also has some associated risks, especially when the app you downloaded is from a source that is not trusted. This is not the first time we are hearing something about the latest OS doing something to protect phones from malicious apps.

In January earlier this year, we shared a report on how Android 14 could block some older apps from being installed on phones running the latest version. This is specifically a crackdown against apps designed to run on older versions of Android, and the latest discovery is just another way for Google to ensure that the users are protected against any malicious actor.

Hopefully, Android 14 will have more features that will protect the devices and user information from falling prey, and in the months leading up to the launch, we will actually get to see a lot more. We will keep you posted as we find new information.