The Android 11, the next major version of the mobile OS from Google, will make it difficult to install applications (APK) outside of the Google Play Store. One developer who had the opportunity to run the beta reported to Google that when permission to install is granted, the app is forced to close. The case was registered on the Issue Tracker platform and considered by the company to be a normal feature.
If you’ve installed an APK before outside of the Play Store, you know that Android always asks for permission before installing third-party apps. Up till version 10, the user was redirected to an area of the system settings where it was necessary to enable the ability to install the app in question and, when returning, the system resumed where it left off.
Things are about to change in Android 11 as developers have confirmed that the next version will simply force the APK to close when the user gives permission to install it. According to Google, this is due to the new Scope Storage embedded in Android 11, which requires a total reload of the app so as to get access to areas of memory that the app never had access to previously.
Commenting on this, a Google representative said: “The way the file system and storage are set up on Android R has changed significantly. When an application starts without this permission, it has a limited view of the system that does not allow writing to certain directories As soon as the app receives this permission, that view is no longer accurate, and it needs to be reloaded for a view that allows writing to certain directories.“
In summary: the app cannot change all the directories it has access to quickly, requiring a total reload to be able to install APKs. However, if the permission to install third-party apps is granted in earlier, the user will most likely be able to carry out the entire process without interruption.