Google is taking the stress out of sideloading apps on Android phones with a new feature rolling out to Google Play Store.

Android users should be careful what they download from the Google Play store, as security researchers recently found a selection of apps which contained North Korean spyware hosted there. The five affected apps appeared to be benign system utilities like file managers,

Back in 2021, Google introduced the app-sharing feature that tied into Quick Share, making it a breeze to shoot apps directly between Android phones. But, according to the fine print in the December Play Store update, this handy tool is now on its way out after three years of quietly doing its job.

Google has made good on its warning that the Play Store would be removing the ability to share apps with other users.

KoSpy masqueraded as utility apps, according to Lookout Mobile Security, which links the activity to a cyber-espionage campaign out of North Korea.

The Google Play Store is home to many popular apps vital to your Android experience — so vital that they can sometimes be described as the beating heart of your new experience. Whether you own an app-centric device like a tablet or phone or a cloud-based machine like a Chromebook,

A group of hackers with links to the North Korean regime uploaded Android spyware onto the Google Play app store and were able to trick some people into downloading it, according to cybersecurity firm Lookout.

Cybersecurity researchers at Lookout have discovered KoSpy, a sophisticated Android spyware linked to North Korea that has managed to infiltrate the Google Play Store. The malware is attributed to ScarCruft (APT37),

All of those collection methods could capture some incredibly delicate personal details, only for it to be sent to servers controlled by North Korean intelligence workers. Lookout