Epic is suing Samsung and Google for One UI's Auto Blocker shenanigans

Samsung’s latest update is One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14. It is available on its latest foldables, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and has also been rolled out to its other recent flagships. One of the controversial changes in this update is that Samsung is using Auto Blocker to block app sideloading by default on phones that launch with One UI 6.1.1. Today, Epic is suing Samsung for this change, and it is dragging Google along with it.

Epic has filed a court case against Google and Samsung over “coordinated efforts to block competition in app distribution on Samsung devices,” namely through the Auto Blocker feature on One UI 6.1.1. Epic alleges that the Auto Blocker feature was “intentionally crafted” in coordination with Google to pre-emptively undermine the ruling in Epic’s court cases against Google for app sideloading.

Auto Blocker was introduced as an optional feature in One UI 6.0 for Samsung Galaxy devices back in October 2023. Amongst other things, Auto Blocker blocks the installation of apps from “unauthorized” app stores, which means any store other than the Google Play Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store cannot install new apps or update existing ones.

With the release of One UI 6.1.1 in July 2024, Auto Blocker comes enabled by default on phones that ship with it, namely the Fold 6 and Flip 6 foldables. The Auto Blocker setting is backed up by Smart Switch, users upgrading from older One UI versions retain their setting.

Epic alleges that Samsung requires an onerous 21-step process to download an app from sources other than the Google Play Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store. This process is said to mirror Google’s “Unknown Sources” process, which has multiple steps and scare screens. However, Epic’s screenshots for this 21-step process include scare screens on Google Chrome for APK downloads, blocking app installs from non-app store apps like Chrome, disabling app blocker, downloading the app again, and other transition screens in the middle.

Disabling Auto Blocker is fairly easy and takes about four to seven steps (if you count scrolling as a step).

It’s not difficult by itself, but it is not very apparent to users when their external app installation could be blocked by Auto Blocker, nor does the OS tell you how to turn off Auto Blocker.

Coupled with the other scare screens present when installing an app outside of the Play Store and Galaxy Store, it can be a big enough hassle to potentially dissuade users from installing apps outside of these two stores.

Epic is asking the court to prohibit Samsung and Google’s anti-competitive behavior and mandate Samsung to remove Auto Blocker’s default functionality. Epic says this is part of the jury’s decision in its legal battle with Google, and Google’s agreements with OEMs to block competition are illegal.

Epic’s legal complaint also alleges that there are Auto Blocker’s safety check claims are bogus., as it conducts no assessment of the safety or security of any specific source or app before blocking an installation.

The Verge notes from a roundtable interview with journalists that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney admitted that Epic doesn’t yet have proof that Google and Samsung colluded for Auto Blocker. Epic also hasn’t asked Samsung yet if the Epic Games Store would be freely made an “authorized source.” Epic says they are fighting on behalf of all app developers, not just Epic. However, Epic’s CEO did ask Samsung privately to either change Auto Blocker so it’s turned off by default, or to create “an honest whitelisting process” that would automatically let honest apps through Samsung’s new barrier. When Epic and Samsung couldn’t agree on “the basis” of the whitelisting process, Epic threatened legal action.

We’ll have to wait and watch how this lawsuit plays out in court. Irrespective of the decision, an appeal is almost guaranteed, so it could take a while for the legal process to resolve this issue. We’re also awaiting the final order for the Epic vs Google trial, which is likely to be in Epic’s favor, and its subsequent appeals. This Epic vs Samsung lawsuit is being positioned as a way to prevent Google and Android OEMs from maliciously complying with impending judicial results.

Update, October 1, 08:25 AM: The Verge reports that Samsung won’t confirm or deny that it worked with Google on Auto Blocker and whether it actually scans for threats. Google denied though, saying it did not request Samsung to create their Auto Blocker feature.