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Do you sideload apps on your Android device? Enjoy while you can, because Google will soon only allow apps from verified developers.
Starting next year, app installs on certified Android devices will be possible only if the developer has been verified by Google. The company compares the move to an "ID check at the airport," and says it is intended to tackle malicious actors who impersonate developers and their brand image to trick users into downloading fake apps.
"This creates crucial accountability, making it much harder for malicious actors to quickly distribute another harmful app after we take the first one down," Suzanne Frey, VP of product, trust and growth for Android, says in a blog post.
Google has had a similar developer verification program for Google Play since 2023. Now, it will also be mandatory for apps distributed outside of the app store. The program will launch in Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand in late 2026 and expand to other markets in 2027, though you can request early access now. Those invites start going out in October.
Google will set up a new Android Developer Console to streamline the verification process for developers. Here, they can set up an account, manage their developer identity, and register their app's package names. The new console is restricted to developers who distribute apps outside Google Play. If you do both, your existing Play Console account should suffice. Google says it will have a new option to register non-Play apps.
Students and hobbyists don't have to worry about their non-Play apps, either. "We recognize that your needs are different from commercial developers, so we're working on a separate type of Android Developer Console account for you," Google promises in a separate post.
Google's expanded verification process comes after it found Android phones were 50 times more likely to get infected with malware from internet-sideloaded apps than from apps on Google Play. Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a similar (and somewhat self-serving) warning in 2022, though the EU's Digital Markets Act forces Cupertino to allow apps from third-party marketplaces.