Heres why sideloading apps is safer with Android O Sideloading apps is safer than ever with Android O. Android has always had a default restriction on installing apps that didnt come from a first party app store. Apps from Google Play or a manufacturers store like Samsung Apps are deemed to be more trustworthy and safe, so they are considered first party app stores, but apps you downloaded from the internet or from another marketplace are not. While the setting was easily disabled, this was the first line of defense to make sure you werent installing apps that had malware embedded in them. By default. only Google Play or other first party app stores have permission to install an app. Android O brings a much smarter system with a new runtime permission (that means a thing that you will need to approve when you install an app) called Install Unknown apps. With Android 8.0, the first time you attempt to install an app from any third-party method, like a web browser or a messaging app, yo...