Google wants to make sideloading safer on Android by verifiying the identities of developers who distribute apps outside the ...

Scheduled for rollout starting in September 2026, the program aims to restrict malware distribution by requiring developer ...

Android will block users from sideloading apps made by unverified developers next year, but we may have found a workaround.

From 2026, only verified developers can distribute Android apps, reshaping security and openness across the platform.

Android has implemented verification requirements on Google Play in 2023, and the team is working on a new Android Developer Console aimed at developers who only distribute outside of Google Play.

Google is tightening the screws on Android security. From March 2026, developers who distribute apps outside the Play Store will need to verify their identity. That means no more anonymous APKs ...

The Android device platform has long been more open than Apple's iOS and iPadOS platforms, with Google making it easier for users to install apps from ...

Google will restrict sideloading with developer verification. The move mirrors Apple's long-standing security approach. Android loses one of its last big differences from iOS. For years, one of the ...

Google has announced significant changes to Android’s app sideloading functionality, implementing new developer verification requirements that will take effect in 2026. The initiative aims to enhance ...

Google insists developers still retain freedom of distribution, whether via sideloading or rival app stores. The difference is that, soon, every app on certified Android devices will have to come from ...

Google will require Android sideloading apps to use verified developers by 2026, aiming to cut malware but raising openness concerns.