#Fail: Google Allows Android App Installs From Search Results

If you’re a user of Android and you do a search, you’ll soon have the ability to install said app straight from the search result and bypass the Google Play store. Here’s how it will work:

  • If the search result brings up an app, you’ll see an ‘Install’ icon next to it.
  • Rather than redirecting you to the store, it will bring up the permissions screen directly and, once you’ve accepted them, the app will be installed.

What could possibly go wrong? Seeing as Google has had problems keeping bad apps off the Google Play store, I can easily see this leveraged to deliver malware and other rogue apps that will pwn your device. Though Google will have to speak to how they plan to mitigate that. I had a look around online and I couldn’t find anything that spoke to that. So it’s a bit of an open question.

This is being rolled out as we speak according to Android Police. But this is something that is going blow up for Google in a bad way. I’m calling it now.

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