Android 15 might bring a new way to deal with annoying apps: App Quarantine

Android 15 Developer Preview 2
Android 15 Developer Preview 2

Imagine this: e.g. You run an app but it behaves strangely, your options regarding what to do next are limited and this causes inconvenience and discomfort. For example, it might flood you with notifications or drain your battery. A popular resolution right now might be to report it as a weapon. But the app should be kept when the user (if it was not a mistake) can somehow apply here to prevent it from having annoying behavior.

The app type mastermind of Android 15 may update it by adding the app quarantine feature. Such an app would act as an online jail where non-disciplined apps go. As a result, this app will limit which programs can access the Internet and when. Engaging in a virtual space will prevent apps from sending notifications and accessing your data at all, just like they can’t run in the background. They would rather be quietly buried in your app drawer.

This is not the same as suspending an app that comes with remote exclusion of the app from the home screen. This is different from temporary app suspension as it can do this (Digital Wellbeing option). App quarantine puts a heavy leash on an app for you, comforted by the knowledge that it won’t get out of your control.

Think of it this way: taking custody of an app is like handing it over to the authorities, like sorting out a suspicious parcel. It is with you during this difficult time and will keep you safe while you think about the next step. In contrast, the latter are the security services of the provider of the Play Store – Google.

Details are vague, but system applications like Play Protect with the app quarantining power are likely the only ones that will have the power. It is about limiting access to services like digital jail only for users.

We are unsure of the details, incidence, and impact of the Russian ‘app quarantine’. This could be one for Android 15, or it could be kept until a future version arrives. But one thing is for sure: this feature has the potential to be an unprecedented situation for anyone who has ever helped an application but later regretted it. This feature serves as the centerpiece of the phone and the middle layer of decoration.