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Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading

Accepted submission by Anonymous Coward https://SoylentNews.Org at 2025-08-27 04:23:08 from the You-only-bought-it-you-don't-own-it-silly! dept.
Digital Liberty

Anonymous Coward [soylentnews.org] writes:

From 9 to 5 Google [9to5google.com]:

To combat malware and financial scams, Google announced today that only apps from developers that have undergone verification can be installed on certified Android devices starting in 2026.

This requirement applies to “certified Android devices” that have Play Protect and are preloaded with Google apps. The Play Store implemented similar requirements in 2023, but Google is now mandating this for all install methods, including third-party app stores and sideloading where you download an APK file from a third-party source.

Think of it like an ID check at the airport, which confirms a traveler’s identity but is separate from the security screening of their bags; we will be confirming who the developer is, not reviewing the content of their app or where it came from.

[...]
This new requirement sees Google create a new Android Developer Console for those that only distribute outside of Google Play. Students and hobbyists will get a separate workflow that differs from commercial developers.
[...]
Those that distribute via Google Play “likely already met these verification requirements through the existing Play Console process,” with a D-U-N-S number for organizations needed.

The first Android app developers will get access to verification this October, with the process opening to all in March 2026.

The requirement will go into effect in September 2026 for users in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Google notes how these countries have been “specifically impacted by these forms of fraudulent app scams.” Verification will then apply globally from 2027 onwards.

Also covered at https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/25/google-will-require-developer-verification-for-android-apps-outside-the-play-store/ [techcrunch.com]

Official announcement: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html [googleblog.com]

Official announcement 2: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification [android.com]

Original Submission