Android to Require Identity Verification for All App Developers, Even If They Don’t List on the Play Store

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Google will soon require all Android app developers to verify their identities, even if they do not list their apps on its Play Store. Currently, those who create “sideloaded” apps, which are downloaded outside the official app marketplace, are exempt from Google’s verification requirements.

However, as of Sept. 2026, this exemption will change.

“Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed on certified Android devices,” Google wrote in a statement. “This creates crucial accountability, making it much harder for malicious actors to quickly distribute another harmful app after we take the first one down.”

Installations of any app that is not attached to either an identity-verified Play ...