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Google will make sideloading apps way more difficult from next year

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Installing apps from outside of the official app store is one of Android’s biggest advantages over iOS, but it seems like Google is about to make that process way more difficult. The company announced today that, soon, virtually all Android users will be able to install only apps from verified developers.Google’s so-called “development verification requirement” was implemented for apps on the Play Store in 2023, but starting next year, it’ll be applied for all install methods. That will include third-party app stores and sideloading, which is the term for when you download an APK file and use it to install an app.

The goal of the new requirement is to verify the identity of app developers and increase security. The company compares the new measures with ID checks at airports, saying it won’t look into the apps themselves.

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.

Google, August 2025

Google’s main target is “convincing fake apps”, like malicious apps that appear to be the official apps of a bank, for example. The company says it has found that sideloaded apps are over 50 times more likely to contain malware. Since implementing the same verification requirements for Google Play apps, Google says it has seen a noticeable drop in malware and fraud.

Developers will still be able to distribute their apps through sideloading or alternative app stores, but they’ll need to verify their identity through a new Android Developer Console. After verifying their identity, they’ll need to register the package names and keys of their apps before users with certified Android devices can install them.

Certified Android devices are all devices that have Google services on them. If your phone has a non-Google version of Android, those measures won’t apply. However, virtually all Android devices sold outside of China have Google services on them.

Tests of the new system will begin with early access in October, though the full implementation will happen much later. In March 2026, Google will give access to the new console to all developers who want to get verified. The new feature will first launch in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026. In 2027 and later, Google plans to expand the requirements globally.

This move looks like something from Apple’s playbook. The Developer ID and Gatekeeper on macOS offer similar functions and provide the same basic level of security. Considering how easy it is to distribute malware on Android, that could be a positive step. However, it can also be seen as just another step to an unnecessary and excessive lockdown of Android.

Google will make sideloading apps way more difficult from next yearGoogle will make sideloading apps way more difficult from next year

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