This restriction does not apply to code that runs in a virtual machine or interpreter where either provides indirect access to the Android API (such as a WebView or JavaScript in the browser).Īs mentioned earlier, your app (APK versions 1031, 1032, 1033, 1034, 10) causes users to download or install applications from unknown sources outside of Google Play.Īccording to Ghisler, he decided to completely remove the APK installation for fear of losing access to his account after the third warning – as has happened with other developers in a similar situation. so files) from a source other than Google Play. Similarly, an app may not download executable code (e.g., dex, JAR. The company’s automated response pointed the developer to a “device and network abuse” policy-specifically, these two sections:Īn app distributed through Google Play may not modify, replace or update itself using any method other than Google Play’s update mechanism. It’s a shocking twist for the service and, seemingly, a bad omen of things to come for other mobile file managers.Ī forum post by Ghisler sheds some more light on what’s happening here, as Google warned him to remove his app from the Play Store within a week if the app went unmodified. With a new update, developer Christian Ghisler has removed the ability to install APK files on Android, blaming Google Play policies in patch notes for the app. The app has over 10 million downloads on the Play Store, still supporting OS versions as far back as Android 2.2. Total Commander has been around since the ’90s, eventually expanding to Android after the platform launched a decade ago. Unfortunately, one of Android’s most trusted file browsers has removed the ability to install APK files after receiving takedown warnings from Google. APK installation is the reason you can still play Fortnite - even as Epic’s legal battle with Google continues - and that way you can skip waiting for automatic updates to bring you the latest features in your favorite apps. One of the coolest features on Android that sets it apart from the mobile competition is the ability to install apps from outside the Play Store.

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