On the morning of April 30 Beijing time, in order to better prevent malicious software, Google adjusted its Android app update policy. Any app downloaded from Google Play must be updated through the official channels of this app store. If an app has a built-in auto-updater, it may be banned by Google.Updating Android apps has always been simple: just click on the Google Play Store app, select "update all" in my apps. Users can even set the apps to automatically update. This process is very convenient for end users but can cause trouble for app developers.Some apps have tried to bypass this process with a built-in auto-updater, but Google has just imposed restrictions: from now on, all updates for apps from Google Play must be completed through this app store, or they will not be able to update.This ban only applies to apps downloaded via Google Play. Users can still install third-party apps downloaded from Amazon or Tencent's app stores, or directly from the web. However, they must allow installation from unknown sources in the settings of their phones or tablets.In fact, Chinese users originally could not use paid apps from the Google Play store and had to rely on other sources to obtain apps.Like Google Play, Amazon and Tencent also offer reputable apps, but downloading Android apps directly from the web carries many risks: although there are some high-quality apps, there are also many malicious softwares and pirated apps.Last week, Facebook caused users' phones to continuously vibrate and ring during the automatic update of its Android app until the download and installation were complete. Fortunately, the content of this upgrade was completely legal and did not contain any malicious code, but the process bypassed the Google Play update process.Although Google did not specifically criticize Facebook's automatic update model, it seems to still be concerned about similar situations because such actions could facilitate the spread of malicious software, leading to ad harassment for users, or even theft of private photos and bank accounts.Google changed its policy last Thursday, listing all apps with built-in auto-updaters as dangerous products that could potentially be banned. Google stated: "Apps downloaded from Google Play cannot modify, replace, or upgrade their own code in any form except through Google Play's update mechanism."However, since the Facebook app is still using this model, Google has not taken a hard stance. Nevertheless, if Google wants to ensure the quality of apps on Google Play, it needs to change the update model. Apps with less influence than Facebook might not be so lucky, but Google Play has generally been lenient in the past, usually issuing warnings rather than directly banning apps. (Shuyu)