Android Sideloading Block: Google’s New Policy Explained
- 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...
- Google plans to begin testing this system with early access in October of this year.in march 2026, all developers will have access to the new console to get...
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Google to Require Developer Verification for All Android Apps
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. However, that’s a vanishingly small fraction of the Android ecosystem outside of China.
Google plans to begin testing this system with early access in October of this year.in march 2026, all developers will have access to the new console to get verified. In September 2026, Google plans to launch this feature in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. The next step is still hazy, but Google is targeting 2027 to expand the verification requirements globally.