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

Currently, developers who create “sideloaded” Android apps are exempt from Google’s verification requirements.

The tech giant stresses that this does not mean developers can’t distribute outside of the Play Store through other app ...

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

Google being able to ban developers operating outside the Play Store transforms Android into an iOS-like walled garden. When ...

With claims that sideloaded apps are 50 times more likely to contain malware, Google is tightening restrictions for ...

On 25 August, the tech giant announced that all developers — whether publishing on the Play Store or via sideloading — will ...

Google announced this week that it will add a new requirement for those who make Android apps and want them to work on ...

Google is also developing a new Android Developer Console specifically for Android developers who don't distribute their apps via Google Play, and there will be a separate console for student and ...

Google's new security initiative will require all Android app developers to pass verification before their apps can be ...

Google will be starting an early access program for verification in October 2025, where participants can join a community ...

Surprise! Google is releasing the first developer preview of Android 16 today so that app developers can test the new APIs and behavior changes that’ll arrive in next year’s big update.