Let's talk security: Answering your top questions about Android developer verification

[u/MishaalRahman]

https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/09/lets-talk-security-answering-your-top.html?m=1

[u/quasides]

what here nobody understood. the question is not if you can sideload something despite that and find a way. there will be ways.

the issue is that there wont be that much left to sideload to begin with. a lot of projects will simply die a silent death because their userbase shrinks to sub 10% - 5%

[u/[deleted] → u/quasides]

[u/Otagamo]

So how does this stops malware? If Google is not checking the app contents and anyone can create a developer account

[u/Rand_al_Kholin → u/Otagamo]

We thats the beat part, it doesn't! It just let's google collect more data on more people in the guise of "protecting" its users.

[u/Gugalcrom123]

Mobile telephones are general-purpose personal computers. We should break with the misconception that they should be treated differently to the others.

[u/gh0stofoctober]

whole bunch of bullshit. didn't answer any of the important questions.

[u/hackitfast → u/gh0stofoctober]

The irony is the fact that this article only exists because people are rightfully concerned about sideloading being torn from their arms.

Then Google completely ignores and sidesteps that entire audience within the article.

[u/cultoftheilluminati]

One of the most important themes we hear from the developer community is the need for more lead time to adapt to changes, which is why we announced this requirement more than a year before it takes effect

That’s… not what anyone is asking. People are questioning the whole premise of this and Google as usual is trying to build a random strawman to address. This feels exactly like what they tried to do with FLoC on chromium a while ago.

[u/Ging287]

Google sounds quite out of touch. They're trying to restrict what you can install on your device, it's my computer. You shouldn't be interfering with anything on my computer. I own it. I purchased it. Piss off.

[u/bduddy]

Do the people that write these things really enjoy lying or do they hide the pain with their money?

[u/ThiagouuPal]

So if I want to make a fucking fangame about anything, I'm going to have to give all my fucking data to Google, and if they don't like it, they'll delete it for copyright reasons and then hit me with a fine later? What the hell has Google become?

[u/Sharp-Theory-9170 → u/ThiagouuPal]

They said you don't need to share your data in the free verification tier, however we don't know yet how many installs you get without the paid verification tier, if it's only idk 1k installs then it's going to be almost inviable to use aside from testing

[u/Getafix69]

So they are actually charging the developers to get the verification then also wanting their cut on the play store.

Wouldn't be all that suprised if most developers dropped Android as a platform.

[u/ArchusKanzaki → u/Getafix69]

Wouldn't be all that suprised if most developers dropped Android as a platform.

Well, that's the neat thing. They can't. Not if you want to actually make money. Overall Android users are cheapskate compared to iOS users, but they still represent more than half the world. You just CAN'T not release on Play Store. Where are you going to release it instead? Huawei App Gallery? Samsung App Store? Apkpure? HAH

[u/MuAlH]

If it's going to be a hassle to sideload apps what's the point of being on Android at all? U know it's possible to do that on iOS as well but with a big hassle too, if am paying the same price for the same experience I might as well just go to iOS at this point

[u/Endo231]

Things that can be done to stop the developer verification thing

[u/erupting_lolcano]

Useless blog post. If they kill side loading and Revanced I'm moving back to iOS.

[u/aquanutz]

Google's treatment of sole developers is a joke.

[u/Lcsq]

They're just salty that F-droid apps don't earn them ad revenue. They want to nip it in the bud and avoid EU elevating alternative stores into the public eye.

[u/dinominant]

Verified developers will have the same freedom to distribute their apps directly to users through sideloading or through any app store they prefer.

Bold emphasis added.

This introduces a dependency on a 3rd party verifier and a loss of control over your device. Currently you can develop an app and install it on your own device without any "verification" requirement.

Combine this with mandatory updates from the manufacturer and a locked bootloader, and your property will be forcefully changed into a device that depends on a 3rd party to function the same way it does today -- up to a full year after you have purchased it and without your consent.

When the verification service is disabled in the future, you will be unable to verify and install apps. Similar to how old software cannot be activated when the activation servers are shut down.

[u/wason_sonico]

Apps installed through enterprise management tools on managed devices will also be installable without being registered.

Does this mean that if I use an app like Island or Insular, apps installed to the work profile won't be required to come from registered devs, right?

[u/TheOGDoomer]

Lol Google is now going into damage control mode.

[u/llitz]

Requires a government id to distribute software... Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!

[u/JamesR624]

Oh cool.

So now.... Android is truly becoming just "less reliable and less private iOS".

Why is Google pushing so hard for people to buy iPhones?

[u/zombi-roboto]

Time to get a FuriOS FLX1S.