This is critical because Google isn’t deleting apps from phones, and so if you have such low-quality, higher-risk apps on your device then the onus is on you to make an honest assessment and to delete— not just leave in place —those apps that fail the test.

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.

The researchers explain that they “selected 50 of the most popular apps on the Google Play Store and analyzed their Manifest files to determine what dangerous permissions the ap

Android 15 expands restrictions on sensitive permissions for sideloaded apps, excluding those from the Play Store or compliant third-party stores. Google aims to align with the EUs DMA by ensuring third-party app stores are as functional and secure as the Play Store.

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,