Google is ensuring that unverified devices will no longer be able to run its suite of Android applications. An anonymous tip from someone who works for an OEM/ODM has come forth explaining that Google has begun completely locking out newly built firmware from accessing the Google apps, commonly referred to as ‘Gapps’. This means that…
Google is ensuring that unverified devices will no longer be able to run its suite of Android applications. An anonymous tip from someone who works for an OEM/ODM has come forth explaining that Google has begun completely locking out newly built firmware from accessing the Google apps, commonly referred to as ‘Gapps’. This means that if a company fails to register its devices with Google, then it won’t be able to run any Gapps on those devices.
Being an open source platform means that Android gives users the freedom to customise it as they please. But this came at the cost of letting anyone build their own version of hardware and software which could lead to both compatibility and security issues. To cut down on the ambiguity, Google has laid out a consistent framework that manufacturers need to follow under the Compatibility Definition Document (CDD). Following the CDD would allow device makers to pass Google’s Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) before they are allowed to pre-load devices with Gapps and other services.
OEMs usually comply with these terms to legitimately pre-load Gapps on their devices. However, many smaller OEMs including many Chinese ones do not bother with following through with the certification and pre-load Gapps anyway. This might not be too much of an issue to the end user, but it does not follow Google’s requirements. Many offer third-party app stores which are responsible for most of the malware that infects Android devices. Sometimes, OEMs don’t even bother loading Gapps and just ship uncertified devices with instructions on how users can side-load the apps themselves.
In order to tackle this massive loophole, Google will now begin checking the build date of a device’s Android system image when someone attempts to run Google apps. Uncertified devices running a version of Android OS compiled anytime after March 16,2018, will no longer be able to run Gapps. Google has reportedly been working towards this for an entire year and had issued warnings to device manufacturers regarding the same.
For the past year, many users have also come across this issue where their devices were no longer able to run any apps from the Google suite of applications and threw an error saying their “device is not certified by Google.” Users would be disallowed from signing in to their Google account because of this reason. To be able to use these apps, users will need to contact their device manufacturer to see if they can work towards providing a certified handset. Device manufacturers will need to get themselves registered by going to this website.
Google acknowledges the existence of custom ROM makers and users and has initiated a whitelisting program. This program will let users register their Android devices by submitting their Android ID to Google using this website. An easy way to obtain you Android ID is to enter “settings get secure android_id” in ADB shell. Unfortunately, Google has placed a user limit of 100 devices per user. Given that new Android IDs are generated each time a device undergoes a factory reset, that limit poses a concern for Android enthusiasts and prolific ROM testers.
But then again, a user on XDA Forums claims to have found a workaround for this limitation by using the ‘Titanium Backup’ app to restore Android ID’s to smartphones. In theory, creating a backup before flashing the ROM would let you reuse the same Android ID. Knowing how resourceful the Android rooting community is, we assume people will find more ways to side-load official apps on unverified smartphones. If you, unfortunately, find yourself in possession of such a device and were tempted to give one of these illegitimate methods a try, do so at your own risk.
