On a technical level, how is TikTok being blocked/banned in the US?
Can I still sideload the app to my phone? Is it only being banned from the two big app stores? Is there a penalty for being found in possession of the software on US soil?
On a technical level, how is TikTok being blocked/banned in the US?
Can I still sideload the app to my phone? Is it only being banned from the two big app stores? Is there a penalty for being found in possession of the software on US soil?
What is sideloading?
On Android you can download apps (.APK files) from the web, and install them without any app store.
Oh gotcha I’ve done that before just didn’t know the term. Thanks!
Downloading the APK.
Its a silly term to say installing from any app store that Google doesn’t control
Not quite. You don’t need any app store at all.
You literally download an APK file from a website or anywhere, then install it directly. Could even be a friend with a thumb drive. Doesn’t matter how you get it, it’s just a file.
Yeah. Dont do that. Its how you install viruses.
Install through another app store like fdroid. Its the secure way to get APKs
That’s got nothing to do with what sideloading means.
And the risks are very overblown.
While it’s possible, it’s extremely rare.
Mostly because the potent target pool is so small. Bigger potentials for bad guys if they trick app stores into approving trojan horse apps, because everyone thinks app stores are safer.