Google Play Store may soon allow updates for sideloaded apps, APK teardown reveals

Evidence from the latest Google Play Store version 42.0.18 suggests Google may soon enable users to update sideloaded apps directly through the Play Store. An APK teardown indicates that users might soon see available updates for sideloaded apps with an “Update from Play” option. This feature would extend to apps downloaded from third-party app stores, allowing updates to be managed via the Play Store instead of the app's original source.

Screenshots reveal the Play Store listing updates for apps from various sources and a new “Update from Play” button. The listing will alert users that “The app installed on your device didn’t come from Google Play. You can update the app from the original source or from Google Play.”

While Android 14 introduced update ownership settings to prevent accidental updates from different sources, the new Play Store feature does not currently prevent updates from other stores. However, it may soon offer an option to switch update ownership to the Play Store.