Skip to content

Upcoming Google Play Store Decision: The Imperative to Upgrade Your Device in 2025

Potential essential apps on your device might cease functioning within a few weeks, and here's the crucial information you require.

App Showcased on Dark-Hued Play Store Platform
App Showcased on Dark-Hued Play Store Platform

Upcoming Google Play Store Decision: The Imperative to Upgrade Your Device in 2025

Google's goal to bridge the gap between Android and iPhone in terms of security and privacy will gain momentum this year, particularly affecting its vast user base. However, you might miss out on these enhancements, and some of your favorite daily apps might cease to function. As we step into 2025, you might find yourself needing to buy a new device to avoid these potential issues within the coming weeks.

This mission isn't novel, but its importance has never been as pressing. Arriving shortly after the long-overdue elimination of less reliable apps with higher risks on the Play Store, Google has also begun to tackle sideloading. While Play Protect has previously covered apps from various sources, this practice still sets Android apart from the iPhone. Even Samsung, Android's leading OEM, has taken additional steps to eliminate sideloading for its mainstream users.

Two significant updates, timely given the deteriorating threat landscape, will further enhance your security. Regrettably, these advancements require a relatively new phone. One of these developments, already in progress, will render apps inoperable on your device if you don't comply.

As many as 750 million Android devices still run outdated versions of the operating system, therefore missing out on security updates. Fortunately, Android 15 should be available on devices dating back to Samsung's S21s, Pixel 6s, and similar era devices. It will introduce new security options, although key updates, such as real-time threat detection, will only be available on newer devices.

A potential hurdle for older device users is a recent announcement from Google. Starting from now, Google will encourage developers to limit their app functionality based on the OS's age and update status on your device. Apps employing Play Integrity features have experienced an average 80% reduction in unauthorized usage compared to other apps, according to Google, as it improves "the technology powering the Play Integrity API on all devices running Android 13 and above, enhancing speed, reliability, and user privacy while leveraging hardware-backed security signals, making it significantly harder for attackers to bypass."

In essence, apps with higher security requirements, such as banking and finance apps, governments, and enterprise apps, will acquire more ways to tailor their security protection based on advanced features. This implies that devices running Android 12 or older may encounter app malfunctions.

Taken collectively, all these updates should motivate the 750 million users of outdated and even obsolete Android versions to update their systems. Android has defined a cybersecurity borderline as it continues to challenge iPhone's lead. The situation is becoming more serious. Recently, Samsung's One UI 7 beta also emphasized security, setting an even higher benchmark for its own users.

My recommendation is to ensure you are running Android 13 at the very least, as over 30% of Android users require an upgrade. And for those worried about a mobile threat landscape now empowered by advanced AI tactics, you should prioritize a seamless transition to Android 15's enhanced security features.

Google has informed developers that the Play Store change allows apps to perform differently on devices running Android 12 and lower compared to enhanced functionality on devices running Android 13 and above. Remember, the risk isn't just limited to your phone, but also to the unknown entities your phone connects to, now crossing the drawn line.

These updates have already started to unfold and will be universally implemented from May 2025.

  1. Samsung has warned its users about the necessity of upgrading to a newer device due to the upcoming Android 15 upgrade, as older devices might face app malfunctions.
  2. Google has issued a warning about the Play Store update, which encourages developers to limit app functionality on devices running Android 12 or older, potentially affecting Android vs iPhone users.
  3. Android 15 upgrade, set to be available on devices like Samsung's S21s and Pixel 6s, promises to introduce new security options, although key updates will only be available on newer devices.
  4. In light of the android vs iphone security and privacy issues, Google's warning about sideloading and the removal of less reliable apps from the Play Store is timely, particularly affecting Android 15 users.
  5. Samsung vs Pixel users might face play store warning about app functionality limitations based on the OS's age and update status, as highlighted by Google's latest announcement and its emphasis on security with One UI 7.

Read also:

    Comments

    Latest