3 ms·

> How easily average users can install app safely without Google account on Android? Underlining the word safely. What do you mean by "safely" here? What is un

> How easily average users can install app safely without Google account on Android? Underlining the word safely. What do you mean by "safely" here? What is unsafe about going to a trusted APK source and downloading it and running it? EPIC literally offers fortnite this way and users seem to manage fine: https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/mobile/android/new-device https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/mobile/android/new-... Before the walled gardens of the Mobile app stores it wasn't only 0.01% of users able to install software on their computers without screwing it up.

nicce 4y ago
> trusted APK source and downloading it and running it? 99% of the users do not know what is actually trusted or not. If third party sources gets popular, it gets even more difficult over time. Epic one very big well known company and on that case you might trust their APK, but it is not the case for other thousand companies. When the habit of downloading APK:s gets more popular again, as it used to, then malware spreadingg and phishing gets more popular as it used. It is easier to get people install software from random sources since it is not uncommon. At the moment, it is uncommon and phishing is harder.
- oblvious-earth 4y ago
  You didn't ask my main question which was: What do you mean by "safely" here? > 99% of the users do not know what is actually trusted or not. Before it was only 0.01% of users know what they're doing and now it's 99% of the users do not know if it's actually trusted or not, that's a 100x difference, I don't suppose you have a source on any of these numbers? Your arguments are all hypothetical, yet we don't have to be as people literally download much of their software on PCs today outside of the Microsoft store and most users manage fine. Other mechanisms have been put in place at multiple levels (the search engine, the browser, and the OS) to make it safer for users, and the majority of those users don't get confused about trusted sources.
  - nicce 4y ago
    > You didn't ask my main question which was: What do you mean by "safely" here? I thought I made it clear at least on the last phrase. ”Safely” simply means that software is what it is supposed to be. My arguments are no hypothetical. Android used to be like that in early days, if you followed infosec in that time. It was common to downlod .apks from third parties and phones were full of malwares. Android does not have same mechanisms like PC. It does not make signature checks for trusted sources or have Windows Defender build-in. Two primary reasons why it is safer to download arbitrary files in these days. MacOS has similar checks.

nicce 4y ago

> trusted APK source and downloading it and running it? 99% of the users do not know what is actually trusted or not. If third party sources gets popular, it gets even more difficult over time. Epic one very big well known company and on that case you might trust their APK, but it is not the case for other thousand companies. When the habit of downloading APK:s gets more popular again, as it used to, then malware spreadingg and phishing gets more popular as it used. It is easier to get people install software from random sources since it is not uncommon. At the moment, it is uncommon and phishing is harder.

oblvious-earth 4y ago
You didn't ask my main question which was: What do you mean by "safely" here? > 99% of the users do not know what is actually trusted or not. Before it was only 0.01% of users know what they're doing and now it's 99% of the users do not know if it's actually trusted or not, that's a 100x difference, I don't suppose you have a source on any of these numbers? Your arguments are all hypothetical, yet we don't have to be as people literally download much of their software on PCs today outside of the Microsoft store and most users manage fine. Other mechanisms have been put in place at multiple levels (the search engine, the browser, and the OS) to make it safer for users, and the majority of those users don't get confused about trusted sources.
- nicce 4y ago
  > You didn't ask my main question which was: What do you mean by "safely" here? I thought I made it clear at least on the last phrase. ”Safely” simply means that software is what it is supposed to be. My arguments are no hypothetical. Android used to be like that in early days, if you followed infosec in that time. It was common to downlod .apks from third parties and phones were full of malwares. Android does not have same mechanisms like PC. It does not make signature checks for trusted sources or have Windows Defender build-in. Two primary reasons why it is safer to download arbitrary files in these days. MacOS has similar checks.