Samsung Galaxy phones just removed one of Android's best features – but you can fix it

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes running One UI 6.1.1 (Image credit: Future)

One of the key benefits of going with Android over iOS is being able to sideload apps from outside the official app stores, functionality that has now been blocked by default on new Samsung Galaxy phones (like the latest Galaxy Z Fold 6).

The change was noted over at Android Authority, and comes alongside the One UI 6.1.1 update that's available on the latest handsets and rolling out to older ones: a tool called Auto Blocker lives up to its name and automatically stops you from installing apps from unknown sources.

To be fair to Samsung, sideloading can leave you open to security issues if you don't know what you're doing (which is why Apple doesn't allow it, outside the EU). And it's not particularly difficult to turn Auto Blocker off again if you want to get back to sideloading.

For Android power users, the feature is indicative of the operating system's more open approach to software, and the autonomy it gives to users. With that in mind, it's good news that sideloading hasn't been blocked completely.

How to block Auto Blocker

Heads up: Auto Blocker is turned on by default on Galaxy devices launching with One UI 6.1.1, which means that sideloading apps is blocked by default.If you're a power user, you can temporarily (or permanently) turn off Auto Blocker. Here's how👇https://t.co/qGrO0N3cmsJuly 23, 2024

If you're running a Samsung Galaxy handset with One UI 6.1.1 on board and find that you can't sideload apps, you need to head to Settings, then tap Security and privacy and Auto Blocker to find the toggle switch to turn it off.

You'll need to provide biometric authentication (typically a fingerprint scan) to confirm the modification. As Android Authority notes, you might find the feature is turned back on if you restore data from a phone running a version of Samsung's software that predates the One UI 6.1.1 release.

It's worth emphasizing that sideloading can be dangerous: you should only install apps from outside the Google Play Store and the Samsung Galaxy Store if you're sure they're from trustworthy developers and trustworthy sources.

In the next month or so, we should see the full launch of Android 15, with Samsung's equivalent One UI 7 update rolling out not long after that. There's no indication that those updates will change anything as far as sideloading goes.

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.