Sideloading the app is still one of the activities you can do with your smartphone that can put your data at risk.
Social Network applications including Facebook, Instagram, Slack, Snapchat, Twitter, Skype, Viber , Teamsnap and Messenger, are on display on a smartphone on March 21, 2018 in Washington DC. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP)
As of the moment, security experts said that installing apps from third-party application developers can expose your smartphone to malware and other malicious content.
Google and Apple also say the same. However, the only issue with these two companies is that they seem to monopolize the mobile app distributions.
Sideloading App: Why People Do It?
Apple and Google claim that Play Store and App Store policies are necessary to protect users from malicious applications.
In this photo illustration, social media apps are seen on a mobile phone on July 29, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey's parliament passed a new law Wednesday, to regulate social media content. The law will require foreign social media companies to have an appointed Turkish-based representative to deal with any concerns authorities have over content.
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MakeUseOf explained that sideloading happens when consumers install applications that are not from the official stores.
They usually do this so that they can have the original versions of their favorite applications, especially when Google Play Store and Apple App Store updated them.
There are many instances when bugs and other issues are discovered in the updated applications. When sideloading, smartphone owners usually rely on APK packages to install apps from third-party providers.
Of course, since these are not under any policy, the sideloaded apps can contain viruses that can be used by hackers and other cybercriminals.
Safely Sideloading Apps
CPO Magazine explained that there are some methods you can do to ensure that your sideloaded apps are really safe to use.
One of the techniques you can try is using hardware cybersecurity measures, which are usually built-in into your smartphone's main SoC.
First, you need to download a verified public key. This will verify if the third-party app you will install really came from a trusted developer that is already releasing applications in Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
However, you still need remember that there's still a chance of data risk if you keep sideloading apps in your device.
Since this is a bit technical, you might want to check this link for further details.
In other news, the Instagram IGTV app will soon be completely removed. Meanwhile, the new Clubhouse text function has rolled out.
For more news updates about apps and other related topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
