Google Play Security Updates For Android Apps
In December last year Google announced that they would be making updates to app security to help verify product authenticity from Google Play. They are now adding a small amount of security metadata on top of APKs to verify that the APK was distributed by Google Play.
One of the reasons they aredoing this is to help developers reach a wider audience, particularly in countries where peer-to-peer app sharing is common because of costly data plans and limited connectivity.
In the future, for apps obtained through Play-approved distribution channels, Google will be able to determine app authenticity while a device is offline, add those shared apps to a user’s Play Library, and manage app updates when the device comes back online. This will give people more confidence when using Play-approved peer-to-peer sharing apps.
This also benefits you as a developer as it provides a Play-authorized offline distribution channel and, since the peer-to-peer shared app is added to your user’s Play library, your app will now be eligible for app updates from Play.
No action is needed by developers or by those who use your app or game. Google are adjusting Google Play’s maximum APK size to take into account the small metadata addition, which is inserted into the APK Signing Block. In addition to improving the integrity of Google Play’s mobile app ecosystem, this metadata will also present new distribution opportunities for developers and help more people keep their apps up to date.
Duncan is a technology professional with over 20 years experience of working in various IT roles. He has a interest in cyber security, and has a wide range of other skills in radio, electronics and telecommunications.