Android 12 upgrade: No user interaction is required to install third-party mall apps under the premise of safety

In response to pressure from Epic Game and government regulators, Google announced last September that it would make changes in Android 12. These adjustments include making it easier for people to use apps from other app stores on their devices without compromising Android's existing security measures.

However, Google did not specify what changes they would make to the Android system, nor did they share specific information about this change at the Google I/O conference in 2021. However, in an official blog post updated today, Google confirmed that it is fulfilling its promise to make third-party operating stores easier to use on Android 12.

In Android's PackageInstaller.SessionParams class, Google has added a new method called setRequireUserAction. This method indicates whether a user action is required before allowing the application to be installed.

For any application holding the REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES permission, its default value is "true". That is, when a user wants to install an application other than Google Play or the official mobile app store, a notification will be sent to the user before the installation session is started, and the installation can only be performed after the user authorizes the permission to install applications from unknown applications.

However, if the following conditions are met, the installation/update of the application will not require user action

• The installer selected the new behavior
• The app being installed targets API level 29 (Android 10) or higher. Google notes that the target API level requirement will increase in future Android versions, a policy that aligns with Google Play's policy on API target requirements).
• Program installations are either updates to themselves or updates to an installed application.
• The installer declares the UPDATE_PACKAGES_WITHOUT_USER_ACTION permission.

So when the App Store attempts to start an installation session and uses this new API, it should be possible to update without the user having to manually accept the update. This will make updating apps in batches faster and bring the experience more in line with what the Google Play Store requires.