Google is requiring developers to verify their identity before their apps hit your phone. This kicks in September 2026, starting with Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, where shady apps have ...

One of the things that has long set Android apart from iOS is that Android makes it fairly easy to install apps from sources other than Google’s official app store, providing users and developers with ...

Google is changing how sideloading works on Android. Starting in 2026, only apps from verified developers will be allowed on certified Android devices. Developers distributing apps outside the Play ...

Google is trying to keep Android users safer by making the sideloading app flow more difficult and convoluted, according to ...

Google announced changes to Android app sideloading last year that would require developer verification as a safety measure, but the company somewhat backtracked with ...

Google has published a new blog post insisting that sideloading on Android isn’t going anywhere. The company reiterated that its new developer verification requirements are meant to improve safety, ...

Google recently decided that the freedom afforded by Android was a bit too much and announced developer verification, a system that will require developers outside the Google Play platform to register ...

Google to Require Identity Verification for Android App Developers: Here’s the Rollout Timeline Your email has been sent Google will soon require all Android app developers to verify their identities, ...

F-Droid has challenged Google’s claim that sideloading is safe, calling it false. The conflict centers on new Android developer verification rules that require government ID and Google approval.