In late August, Google announced new rules for sideloading on Android. Under the policy, all developers must verify their identity starting from 2026 for security reasons. The policy sparked controversy, with developers raising several concerns. F-Droid, an open-source Android app repository, even warned that Google will “break free app distribution” with this move. Now, in an attempt to calm the …
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F-Droid warns that the project will end if Google is allowed to seize control of the entire Android software ecosystem by way of its developer verification program. In addition to gathering personal information from devs, F-Droid says Google will be demanding registration fees from independent developers, many of whom give their apps away for free and would be uninterested in …
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Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR F-Droid has warned that Google’s new developer verification rules could effectively kill alternative Android app stores. The platform says that Google’s rules are monopolistic and harmful to competition as well as user freedom. F-Droid says the new rules would make Google the gatekeeper of all Android apps, but Google maintains that developers will still …
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It’s the end of days for one of the main features that differentiated Android from iOS for so many years. Namely, the ability to sideload apps from unverified developers working outside the official Play Store is going away. Google explained the decision in a blog post, which mostly boiled down to wanting to ensure that every Android app developer is …
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Do you like writing software for Android, perhaps even sideload the occasional APK onto your Android device? In that case some big changes are heading your way, with Google announcing that they will soon require developer verification for all applications installed on certified Android devices – meaning basically every mainstream device. Those of us who have distributed Android apps via …
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Google will extend developer verification to all Android apps, not just those installed from the Play Store, beginning with Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026, and followed by global rollout in 2027 and beyond. Currently, developer verification is already required for the Play Store but not for apps installed from other sources. Today, developers do not need to …
Read More »Google will implement a new safety feature that would require developers to verify their identity if they want Android users to be able to sideload their apps. The company said that it made the decision after recent analysis found “over 50 times more malware from internet-sideloaded sources than on apps available through Google Play.” By verifying a developer’s identify first, …
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An early look at the streamlined Android Developer Console for sideloaded apps. Credit: Google Google says that only apps with verified identities will be installable on certified Android devices, which is virtually every Android-based device—if it has Google services on it, it’s a certified device. If you have a non-Google build of Android on your phone, none of this applies. …
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Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google will soon verify the identities of developers who distribute Android apps outside the Play Store. Developers must submit their information to a new Android Developer Console, increasing their accountability for their apps. Rolling out in phases from September 2026, these new verification requirements are aimed at protecting users from malware by making it …
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