Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET For years, one of the biggest talking points in the Android vs. iOS debate has been freedom of choice -- and nothing summed that up more than sideloading. "But iOS is a walled garden. Apple controls what you can and can't install on your hardware." If I had a dime for every time an Android user said this argument to settle which mobile platform is the best, I'd be lying in a pool of dimes as I type. Also: How to clear your Android phone cache (and greatly improve its performance) One of the last major differences between Android and iOS is not dead, but it's definitely coming to an end, with Google deciding that Apple's way was the best all along. I'm talking about sideloading -- the ability to install apps from unverified developers, bypassing Google's Play Store. The argument made by Google is pretty much the same one Apple has used for years: Security. Also: I test dozens of Android phones every year: How Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and more stack up "Following recent attacks, including those targeting people's financial data on their phones, we've worked to increase developer accountability to prevent abuse," writes Suzanne Frey, VP of Product, Trust and Growth for Android. "We've seen how malicious actors hide behind anonymity to harm users by impersonating developers and using their brand image to create convincing fake apps. The scale of this threat is significant: Our recent analysis found over 50 times more malware from internet-sideloaded sources than on apps available through Google Play." Developer verification Google's answer to this growing malware issue? According to Frey, it's developer verification. "Think of it like an ID check at the airport, which confirms a traveler's identity but is separate from the security screening of their bags; we will be confirming who the developer is, not reviewing the content of their app or where it came from." Also: Changing these 12 settings on my Android phone extended its battery life by hours This change will apply to apps installed on all Android certified devices starting next year, and it sounds like a staggered rollout, as Google says the "change will start in a few select countries specifically impacted by these forms of fraudulent app scams." Google is also developing a new Android Developer Console specifically for Android developers who don't distribute their apps via Google Play, and there will be a separate console for student and hobbyist developers. Also: Android phone feeling slow? How I changed one setting to instantly double the speed Taking this from the corporate-speak of the blog post into the real world, what this means is that you can still sideload apps, but only those that are digitally signed by the developer. No signature, no sideloading. Also, if that developer is caught doing bad stuff, their certificate is pulled, and all their apps will stop working. It also means that apps Google doesn't like -- Revanced, a sideloaded app that, among other things, enables YouTube Premium features without paying springs irresistibly to mind -- are dead. Unmoved by this change As someone who uses both iOS and Android, I'm a bit "meh" about this change. I don't sideload except when I'm looking for badware, and I'm sure if you picked a hundred Android users at random, you'd be hard-pressed to find one who had sideloaded a single app, and if Google's "50 times more malware from internet-sideloaded sources" is true, it would probably be malware. It's a niche thing, like installing custom ROMs and jailbreaking iPhones. Also: 6 Android launchers that are better than your default home screen - and why While I'm unmoved by this change, a lot of folks are getting rather emotional about it. This one post over on Reddit does make some valid points about the consequences of this change, but I'm honestly surprised unrestricted sideloading has carried on for as long as it has. I'm sure this will benefit those developing alternative platforms for Android smartphones -- such as LineageOS and GrapheneOS -- but don't hold your breath for the masses to be clamoring to make the switch. Whatever side of the fence you're on, it's the end of an era and a move that makes the gap between Android and iOS even smaller.