Facebook Home is no longer able to provide users with automatic updates outside of the Google Play store. Google abruptly closed the updates loophole which in turn stopped Facebook’s practice of offering updates to a limited number of test users.
Under the Google Play stores new terms and conditions all updates must be sent directly through the Google Play store.
The Google Play “Dangerous Products” section reads:
“An app downloaded from Google Play may not modify, replace or update its own APK binary code using any method other than Google Play’s update mechanism.”
Google appears to be taking the automatic updates notice seriously. The new policy is placed alongside the company’s transmission of “viruses, worms, defects, Trojan horses, malware, or any other items that may introduce security vulnerabilities to or harm user devices, applications, or personal data.”
Facebook Home was pushing “beta updates” to users and then allowing others to follow suit with an auto-update to their Facebook apps at a later time.
Google Android already has a malware and it appears that the popularity of Facebook Home’s auto-updates program was enough concern for Google to ditch the loophole.
Interesting! It hasn't stopped doing it on my phone yet. I didn't know how I felt about it yet. It was slightly annoying, but also a good reminder to respond to a message if you were doing something else when it appeared.