How to allow installation of applications from unknown sources? Android Oreo: Google made installing apps from unknown sources safer Ability to install apps from unknown sources

  • 21.11.2021

There are many resources for downloading mobile applications. In addition to the public Internet, there are special stores for phones on different platforms. Their advantage in the first place is the safety against viruses and the safety of personal data that is requested during installation. Smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has created a Play Market store for users. Downloading applications from there to your phone will be automatically allowed.

There are situations when the owner needs a utility that is not available in the Play Market, or its download is paid. Then it remains to use another database for loading. But if you do not change the settings in Xiaomi, then any installation will be blocked.

How to allow installation from unknown sources

In order for the gadget not to block "foreign" files, it is enough to perform a simple sequence of actions:

1. Open Settings → Advanced → Privacy

2. Click on the "Unknown sources" slider.


A message will be displayed on the screen warning you of the possible risks to the device's system if the file is found to be a virus. If you are sure that the site is reliable, use the "OK" button to agree to the download. Now blocking of any utilities or games will be stopped.

Temporary permission

Xiaomi phones have a "temporary resolution" feature. It is relevant when safety for the user is above entertainment. In this case, click on the "Allow once" button. The settings will not change, but a one-time installation will occur.

The permission function is important and useful for the smartphone owner. With its help, the manufacturer warns against dangerous files and allows the user to independently decide which services to use for and from where to download games.

The Android platform, unlike iOS, offers the ability to install applications from unknown sources, but first you need to activate it.

Most often, this advantage is used on those smartphones where there is no Google Play app store. But there are other scenarios, such as installing programs that are not available in official sources. Be that as it may, if you need to figure out how to activate the ability to install APK on Samsung Galaxy from unknown sources, then you have come to the right place.

Due to updates to the Android operating system and the user interface from Samsung, the activation process varies from device to device, but in any case, it will not be difficult to figure it out. Moreover, this can be done without obtaining superuser rights.

On the Galaxy S8, Note 8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9 and other smartphones with the latest version of Samsung Experience (Android Oreo), you need to dig into the settings to allow installation of apps from unknown sources. In the case of these gadgets, this feature is not in the same place as in Android with Material Design. One way or another, no difficulties should arise if you follow our instructions.

How to allow installation of apps from unknown sources on Android Oreo?

It's not as easy as on the Galaxy S7 and other gadgets with the old Samsung user interface, but we'll help you figure it out. Follow the guide below:
  1. In the smartphone settings, we find the “Applications” section and tap on the button in the form of three dots in the upper right corner.
  2. There will be an option “Special access rights”, select it.
  3. At the bottom we are looking for the item “Install unknown applications”.
  4. Next, manually select the required permissions for each of the sources.

Do not neglect security, so leave unused sources deactivated.

How to allow installation of apps from unknown sources on Android Nougat and Marshmallow?

A huge proportion of Samsung Galaxy smartphones still run on the Android Nougat operating system, so there is a need for instructions specifically for their users.

What do I need to do to enable installation from unknown sources? Four simple steps:

Everything is ready, you can install any application on your gadget.

When developing the Android operating system, it was assumed that the choice would be made mainly through the Google Play application store, although the ability to install programs from other sources is also provided, only it is disabled by default.

Allow installation from unknown sources

To install programs not only from Google Play, but also in the form of installation files from other resources, you need to give permission to install from unknown sources. For this you need:

  1. Go to section " Settings» — Applications > Settings.
  2. Go to section " Safety» — Apps > Settings > Security.
  3. Put a checkmark on the item " Unknown sources allow installation of apps from unknown sources»

How to install an .apk file on Android from a third-party source

An .apk file is an executable application file for the Android operating system. In this format, programs for Android are distributed through application stores, and they can also be manually downloaded to a smartphone or tablet from specialized sites, followed by their launch.

For example, you saw an application you like available for download on the site, but you are used to installing programs through the Google Play Market, and now you have downloaded the installation file, but what's next? It needs to be installed on your device, to do this, do the following:


Now the application is installed and you can use it as you wish. It is worth warning that by installing applications downloaded in the form of .apk installers, an inexperienced user is at risk of infecting his device with a virus. There are a lot of .apk programs on the net with tempting offers, like: update your Android to the latest version, install Flash Player, win the lottery, install a super erotic game, etc. Beware of installing such programs, such offers have only one purpose - to introduce a virus into your smartphone or tablet. Download .apk files only from reputable sites.

Third Party App Stores

If for some reason you are not satisfied with Google Play, although with its gigantic assortment it is not clear what may not suit you, then you can always use third-party app stores that many well-known Internet companies have, such as Yandex. However, the variety of programs in such stores will always be inferior to Google Play.

If you still decide to use programs from third-party stores, then you need to consider the following things:

  • Download the store client only from an official source, for example. Attackers can offer some special client on fake sites, in which all applications are free and without ads.
  • Each store has its own rules, often different from the Google Play rules you are used to.
  • Third party stores may require additional registration and may not work in some countries.

In previous versions of Android, apps not found in the Play Store could be installed if they were checked in the device's security menu. In Oreo, this has changed.

How installing apps from unknown sources works

In previous versions of Android, if you wanted to install an app not found in the Play Store, you had to go to Settings > Security and . Essentially, this meant that the phone ignored the security protocols set for apps outside of the official channels and allowed them to be installed.

This is a great feature for a number of reasons. It allows developers to release their apps for testing outside of the Play Store. It gives users the ability to manually update apps before the update is officially available on their phones. For the most part, this is good.

But, like all good things, there is a downside. Enabling this feature opens the door for viruses and other types of malware to enter your phone. For example, some of the biggest Android threats were with apps that could install themselves directly from SMS messages without any interaction from the user.

How installation from unknown sources has changed in Android Oreo

So, in Oreo, Google decided to change the way unknown sources work. Instead of a simple toggle that allows any app to download and install third-party apps, this feature is now enabled on a per-app basis. This is an incredibly good move.

For example, I often install apps downloaded from APKMirror. Since they are all downloaded through the default browser, Chrome, I can just allow only this application to install applications. This means that any APK (Android Package Kit) that I download using Chrome can bypass Android security settings (including Google Play Protect), but if I tried the same using any other browser, even other versions Chrome, this installation will be blocked. I'm sure you already understand how good it is.

Another great example is the Amazon Underground. It's an Amazon store and an Appstore in one package. Google does not allow installation of app stores from Google Play, so the Amazon Appstore app cannot be downloaded directly from the Play Store. Amazon found a way around this limitation by offering Underground as a free download from the Internet. With the Underground app, users can install everything available on the Amazon Appstore.

So, the new installation from unknown sources policy is really beneficial. Historically, users using the Amazon App Store left the Unknown Sources option enabled, so apps could easily be installed or updated. However, in Oreo, install from unknown sources can only be enabled for the Amazon Underground app. This will allow you to install applications as needed, as well as protect the rest of the system.

How to allow installation from unknown sources in Android Oreo

Now that you know what has changed and why, let's talk about where you can find these new settings.

First, pull down the notification panel and click on the gear icon to go to the Settings menu.

Here, click on Apps & Notifications and then click on the drop-down menu of Advanced Settings.

Select Special Access, then Install Unknown Apps at the very bottom of this menu.

Installing applications from unverified sources has always been a rather big danger for smartphones and tablets. Fraudsters, using cunning tricks, easily deceive not the most experienced users of the Internet environment. And not every experienced user will be able to separate the safe from the dangerous. Google has unveiled the latest version of Android 8.0, which protects the device and is described as faster, more powerful and more convenient. The main tangible plus of this version is that dangerous applications will not be able to pose a threat to the gadget. The changes are not so much about design, but about user protection. Outdated insecure technologies will no longer hang like a sword of Damocles over every device, putting owners at risk.

What changed?

Up to this point, when installing applications, users had the opportunity to take unnecessary risks by giving permission to install from an unknown source. This could be easily done in the Android settings by simply checking the box in the desired box. However, users were categorically not recommended to do this, because the risk of installing unreliable and simply malicious applications was extremely high. This threat - downloads of unsafe applications - was last year in second place in terms of danger, b O more threat.

The version of Android Oreo embodied a cardinal solution: the rejection of the option, which assumes a one-time allow to install applications from unknown sources. Now the ability to allow such installation from an unknown source is bolted to each specific application separately. On the one hand, this feature allows you to download what you need. After all, some developers place their applications not only with the help of application stores, but also through their own web pages. Such a strategy can be chosen by both small start-ups at the testing stage, and huge market-leading companies such as PokerStars. And on the other hand, superfluous, unnecessary, dangerous versions of applications that, for example, steal the data of the owner of a smartphone, will not go uncontrolled.

Now each Android user must allow or deny a specific application to be downloaded from an untrusted source. At the same time, some can be blocked at the same time, access to others can be opened. All this is regulated by security settings. This option allows you to control the process and prevent the actions of intruders. Without the user's permission, it will not be possible to install the software in any illegitimate way.

This model of actions allows you to avoid dangerous downloads, since the user controls the installation process on his own: in the absence of permission, there is no possibility for the installation to work fraudulently. In the settings, you can specify which applications are approved for installation. If necessary, the permission or ban can be canceled at any time.

These important improvements will significantly increase the security of the system and protect it from malware and spyware. It will simply be impossible to connect to unsecured web servers. Access of all applications to the system becomes limited. Identifiers in this version of the operating system are always different. This makes it impossible for developers with unscrupulous thoughts to track users of one application using another.

In general, to summarize, Android Oreo:

  • blocks access to insecure web servers;
  • filters and restricts options for interaction between applications and the device core;
  • sandboxes web content, making it inaccessible to the invading site.

Thanks to such innovations, users will be able to use software of any third-party manufacturers, but at the same time avoid the danger of unwanted downloads. In addition, updates for security patches will be released constantly, which means that users' devices will be protected reliably, much more thoroughly than in previous versions. The official release took place on August 21, so that Android users in the very near future are waiting for pleasant and long-awaited improvements for their devices.