Google Said to Be Blocking GApps on Uncertified Devices; Custom ROMs an Exception

Google has reportedly begun to block access to its apps on uncertified Android devices. Google usually sets prior requirements that mobile manufacturers have to meet in order to be able to preload the Google Suite of Apps on their devices. However, the technology giant has decided to make things a little harder. Earlier, it was possible for unverified devices to use Google apps or GApps, but now the company appears to be taking on such devices while still allowing custom ROM users to use the apps.

Android is an open-source operating system, and it enables OEMs to distribute Google's official apps on their smartphones. As per an XDA Developers' report, access to Google's apps on uncertified Android devices whose firmware was built after March 16 will be blocked. This means if a device is not certified by Google it will not be able to access the apps. A device maker will now have to follow the Android Compatibility Definition Document to pass the Compatibility Test Suite.

Interestingly, according to the report, Google has been giving warnings to device manufacturers regarding the issue. Also, users, for a year, have been coming across the warning while booting their device. However, clearing data on Play Services seemed to resolve it until now. But this will not be an option anymore. It should be noted that older uncertified devices may not face any trouble as new devices are supposed to ensure they are certified.

While this comes as good news as it ensures more quality and compatibility, the move may cause a problem to users who run custom ROMs. Since they are usually nightly builds, it becomes an issue to run GApps. As a result, Google has reportedly made an exception for the custom ROM users who can register their device with their Android ID in order to run Google apps. Notably, there is a limit of a 100 devices per user. As XDA Developers points out, the Android ID can be obtained using the ADB command "settings get secure android_id". Further, users will have to insert it on the Google's site to get on the whitelist.