Fortnite is finally on Android, and it caused a huge fuss (over nothing) about supposed security risks that it would expose users to. Google has already taken the unusual step to remind users searching for Fortnite on the Play Store that they won’t find it there, and now Epic Games is prompting users to remain safe, too.
In a nutshell, the issue is that Epic Games distributes Fortnite for Android outside the Play Store, which is a bit unusual; virtually all popular Android apps are on the Play Store, and this does keep users (somewhat) more safe. To install Fortnite, users have to allow installation from unknown sources and install the .APK file directly. This caused a bit of upset.
To help users stay protected, Epic added a reminder to the installer application. When you install Fortnite, a notification comes through a minute or so afterwards reminding users that they had to enable a few permissions to get Fortnite to install, and to click on the notification to wind those same privileges back:
It doesn’t change the security model and how Epic’s distribution fits within it, but it does remind users to make sure their devices are protected as much as they can be.
