Android is an open-source operating system, so in addition to the “blessed” version that Google distributes to major manufacturers, a million other varieties have blossomed. If your Android device is certified by Google, you’re allowed to distribute Google’s official Android apps (such as the Play Store, Maps, etc.) on it. If you’re not certified — common examples are Amazon’s Fire OS tablets and also most Chinese phones sold in China — you aren’t supposed to ship those apps. Technical users typically resort to sideloading Google’s apps if they want them, but there are also some less-reputable manufacturers that ship Google software without permission.

Well, here comes the crackdown.

Google is now checking the build date of your Android…

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