Now to install the APK on your Android phone, you will have to do this:
Google Play Protect, the kind of antivirus that comes by default on Android phones, has always been heavily criticized by the community. Experts have come to rank it as the worst antivirus for Android . In fact, it is responsible for downloading more than 600 million viruses from the Google Play Store last year.
For all this, Google has not stopped improving the level of security provided by Play Protect. But with the latest update, they have added a somewhat controversial feature to this antivirus.
This is the function that requires you to enter your fingerprint or security PIN to install the APK file. That’s right, now whenever you want to install an app outside the Google Play Store using an APK file, you will have to adhere to this security step.
Android has started asking users to enter their fingerprint or security PIN to enable app installation via APK. However, it seems that this request for biometric data is not random.
As developer Mishaal Rahman (an Android expert ) reports , this only happens when the app has not been vetted before and is deemed unsafe or poses a security risk to the device. For example, if it is discovered that the app was built using an outdated SDK.
This new Google Play Protect feature is designed to discourage users from installing potentially dangerous apps and protect them from them. However, many experts have questioned the usefulness of this feature, describing it as just a nuisance that hinders the process of installing APK apps.
On the other hand, there are those who see it as a positive security improvement for the average Android user , who is usually unaware of all the precautions that should be taken when installing an APK.