What is "Install From Unknown Sources" settings?

Satish Shetty Updated by Satish Shetty

Understanding Install From Unknown Sources Settings

"Install From Unknown Sources" is a setting on Android devices that allows the installation of apps from sources other than the official Google Play Store. When this setting is enabled, users can download and install apps from sources like APK Mirror, Amazon Appstore, or any other third-party app store or website.

However, installing apps from unknown sources comes with risks, as these apps may contain malware or other security vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that users should be cautious when installing apps from third-party sources and only download from trusted and reputable sources.

How this setting affects apps?

When the "Install From Unknown Sources" setting is disabled, any third-party apps cannot download and install APKs. If any apps attempt to do a self-update, they may fail because they cannot install the downloaded APK. It is recommended that third-party apps should not install APKs silently.

How does this setting work with an MDM solution?

MDM solutions can remotely turn on or off this setting. Secure MDM providers like Codeproof turns off this setting by default, which means APKs cannot be downloaded and installed from the web or any other apps cannot install APKs silently.

However, the MDM solution can install APKs silently even though this setting is blocked or disabled. The MDM in the device has device owner rights to perform this operation in case of fully managed mode.

How does this setting affect the update of Amazon Flex App for DSPs?

Generally, the Amazon Flex app tries to self-update itself as it is not available in the Google Play Store. The self-update process requires enabling the "Install From Unknown Sources" setting. However, using the Codeproof platform, the Amazon Flex app updates smoothly without requiring this security setting to be enabled. Codeproof automatically updates the Amazon Flex app on all enrolled devices.

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