Starting Aug. 1, 2018, Google's accepting a lot tougher with Android app developers. New apps actuality uploaded to the Play Store will accept to ambition Android 8.0 Oreo or higher, again a few months later, every amend to absolute apps will accept to do the same. It may assume like a simple rule, but it will accept some austere repercussions.
In layman's terms, aback an app "targets" a specific Android version, it's acquisitive your phone has that Android adaptation installed. Notice I said hoping and not requiring. The app can still run on earlier or newer Android versions, but it may be missing some functionality if your phone is alive an earlier adaptation than it's targeting.
On Nov. 1, 2018, the Google Play Store will no best acquiesce developers to upload an app amend unless the amend was accurately advised to ambition Android 8.0 or higher. This applies to every app that is currently on the Play Store, and the above-mentioned Aug. 1 borderline applies to new apps actuality uploaded for the aboriginal time.
Next year, the aforementioned deadlines will administer for this year's above Android release, adaptation 9.0. Every year action forward, developers will be affected to accomplish their apps ambition an Android adaptation that is no added than a year old. If they don't, they won't be able to upload new apps or updates to their absolute apps.
Why Developers Ambition Earlier Android Versions
Because of the backwards-compatibility, you'd anticipate app developers would consistently appetite to ambition the latest adaptation of Android to get admission to new features, but abounding don't. Along with abacus functionality and capabilities, new Android versions additionally ascertain new rules — and some of these rules can be akin to app developers.
To get about this, abounding developers accept been targeting earlier Android versions from a time aback accepted rules and restrictions weren't in place. Things like Oreo's new accomplishments restrictions that accomplish apps added battery-friendly while potentially causing them to abate functionality.
One above aphorism that was alien aback in 2015 was Android Marshmallow's granular permissions system. Apps that ambition this adaptation or college charge absolutely ask the user for permission to admission specific sensors and data. For instance, aback an app wants to use your microphone, it has to appearance a alert allurement you if it can.
What This Agency for Malware Apps
There are accepted affidavit to bypass the new rules on accomplishments restrictions and permission prompts, but not every developer is targeting old Android versions with acceptable intentions. It's actuality that the changes will best appulse malware.
Many apps are advised malware because of permissions abuse. For instance, a flashlight app absolutely alone needs permission to admission your flashlight, but several of the offerings on the Play Store will use the pre-Marshmallow permission archetypal to batch-request admission to your microphone, location, contacts list, and more. The app's developers could be monetizing their software by affairs this advice to marketers or researchers.
These old-style permission requests appearance up aggregate on a popup aback you're aboriginal installing the app, and abounding users aloof tap "OK" afterwards account them. Awful developers can casualty on people's accord actuality by artlessly targeting an old Android adaptation afore Marshmallow.
Now, that comes to an end. All new apps and updates charge ambition Android Oreo, acceptation you'll accept to manually accept every permission an app requests. You can calmly tap "Deny" to anticipate a apprehensive app from accessing that permission, so it will be a lot harder for awful apps to abundance for accidental data.
The additional way these changes affect malware is with the new accomplishments beheading banned implemented in Android Oreo. In a nutshell, if an app is targeting Oreo and your phone is alive Android 8.0 or higher, it can't run absolved in the accomplishments anymore.
When you're actively application an app, it's advised to be alive in the foreground. In this bearings and a few added attenuate cases, the app can run any operations it wants — afterwards all, you're using the app, so the casework it's alive are inherently tasks the user accustomed it to perform.
When you're not application an app that targets Oreo, Android 8.0 and newer builds will accede it to be alive in the background. Once it's confused to the background, the arrangement will accord the app a few account to blanket up any processes it was running, but afterwards that, Android will abolish all of the app's processes.
For malware apps, this agency they can no best accumulate alive abstracts access in the accomplishments to "phone home," nor can they run casework indefinitely to adviser your action and aggregate advice on you. This will acutely absolute some of the shadiest behavior in Android malware apps.
Of course, developers of absolute malware apps could artlessly not amend their apps to abstain accepting to accede with these new rules. However, anachronous apps about rank lower on Play Store chase after-effects than their adapted counterparts, so beneath users will appear above them in the aboriginal place. And at the actual least, there are several new hurdles for any adumbral developer attractive to upload a new malware app.
Overall, these new rules mark a huge about-face in the Android ecosystem. Their appulse stretches far above malware — association alive newer Android versions should see lots of added benefits, like bigger array life, split-screen support, added apps that assignment with taller screens, and alike bigger camera quality.
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