Workaround for CA Mobile Authenticator App Unavailability in Google Play Store

Products

CA Strong Authentication

Issue/Introduction

The CA Mobile Authenticator App (Android) that comes with Advanced Authentication has been disabled by Google on the Play Store, and is not accessible for download for the new users. The mobile App is working fine for the existing users.

UPDATE: The CA Mobile Authenticator App is available again on Google Play Store.

Environment

CA Mobile Authenticator (Android)

Cause

Google has some new policies to be implemented to the mobile App, and Broadcom is working on getting compiled for the new Google policies. Once the Google policies are applied and approved, the mobile app will be enabled for download to all users.

Resolution

No Impact on Existing Users: Existing users who already have the CA Mobile Authenticator app installed will continue to function normally, with no impact on generating OTPs or validating them.

The Broadcom Advanced Authentication product team is collaborating with Google to prioritize the re-publication of the CA Mobile Authenticator App in the Google Play Store.

Please follow the steps below to install the app as a temporary workaround:

Steps for Installation via APK:

Request the APK File:
- Request the CA Mobile Authenticator.zip file from Support team. The zip will contain the latest version of the CA Mobile Authenticator app APK.
Enable Installation from Unknown Sources:
- To install the APK, users will need to enable the "Install unknown apps" option on their Android devices:
  - Go to Settings on the device.
  - Navigate to Apps & Notifications > Advanced > Special App Access.
  - Select Install Unknown Apps.
  - Find the app/browser you will use to install the APK (e.g., Chrome or any file manager app) and toggle on the Allow from this source option.
Install the APK:
- Once the settings are updated, users can open the APK file from their device's file explorer or the browser’s downloads page and proceed with the installation.
Verify Installation:
- After installation, users can open the app and proceed with Enrollment and authentication as usual.

For further updates, please refer to this KB article and contact Broadcom Support if you need any assistance with installing the CA Mobile Authenticator using the APK file.

Additional Information

CA Mobile App google store warning: “Recent data from similar devices show that this app may stop working on your device.”

Based on our research and review of recent trends, this message is part of a Google Play feature introduced in 2023. It is designed to proactively notify users when an application shows signs of instability—such as frequent crashes—specific to their device model or configuration. Essentially, if Google's backend detects a pattern of poor behavior (e.g., high crash rates) for an app on a particular device or OS version, it may show this warning to users of similar devices.

Why the Message Might Be Appearing Now

While we cannot confirm the exact reason this message is now appearing for your users, here are some likely contributing factors:

Crash Frequency: Our records and telemetry indicate that the app may have experienced an increased number of crashes recently. This likely contributed to Google flagging it.
Device-Specific Behavior: It’s possible that a specific model or configuration, such as a newer device or one running a recent OS update, has started encountering more issues, triggering the alert.
Google’s Adaptive Algorithm: Google may have recently updated its evaluation criteria or thresholds, resulting in new warnings appearing for existing issues.

Recommendations

We strongly recommend that the recent crash issues be addressed as a priority. Resolving these will not only improve user experience but may also prevent the recurrence of this warning message for new users or on impacted devices.

Additionally, as a precautionary step, please reach out to Broadcom Support with any crash issues if reported by your users.