JollyPieFedGoogle Play Store removes P2P ‘Share apps’ functionality [U]
9to5google.com/2025/03/09/google-play-share-apps/
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Cosmic ClericFrom the article ...
You can still use Files by Google to share Android applications in a similar manner. Under Categories, go to “Apps” and then the overflow menu for what you want to “Share.”
Rookithats just some petty stuff
Yeah you got to wonder why they're bothering to remove it if the functionality is still there from another one of their apps.
NilzWho knows, they might be removing that feature in the near future too.
Maybe, you never know. That would be even harder for them to do though, since that is a utility app for working with files, and files are shared between devices.
Ofcourse they do. It would allow people to share and multiply old, non backdoored versions of apps. They know they will be forced to ship those soon.
While it goes in the graveyard, I don't know of a single person who ever used this.
I can see the appeal for it in apps like F-Droid and Briar where you might want to share an app that may not be available because of an Internet outage (accidental or deliberate).
When I’m traveling internationally I’m limited to 256kbps unless I buy a local sim. Sending an app without cell needed could be useful. Especially if it’s a big app like the DJI app.
Outside of that… nah. Maybe if you’re in rural Africa where cell service is spotty at best. But even there things have improved dramatically.
Why wouldn't you use a dedicated APK extraction app of your choice to extract the APK file, then send to another device using a file sharing method of your own choice, be it WLAN-direct or even Bluetooth, instead of using Google's locked-in proprietary tool?
My aunt has very spotty internet in her house, so a transfer would be quite a bit faster than downloading for bigger apps.
I can't imagine why someone would need to use it either.
-"Hey check out this sweet app."
"Oh? Cool I'll grab it from the Play Store"
-"Nah, bro I gotta send it direct."
"You're uninvited from my birthday party."
This looks like a project from an L3 who got promoted and immediately left the team afterwards.