Android prepares new app install rules — full details for 2026

Over a month after the initial announcement, Google has revealed the details of mandatory developer verification on Android. The policy is presented as a step toward enhancing security, but in practice, it could significantly complicate the installation of apps outside the Play Store and put independent app stores at risk.

This was reported by TechSpot.

What is changing and why it matters

In August, Google announced a major shift in its approach to interacting with developers, and now it has clarified the requirements for identity verification. The company explains that the new rules are necessary to combat malicious software: nearly all developers will need to undergo identification so that attackers can be detected and removed more quickly.

During the installation of any new application, the system will check the developer’s ID through a new "trusted" component on the device — the Android Developer Verifier (ADV). Data on popular apps will be cached locally, while for lesser-known apps, ADV will likely query the internet. For third-party stores, Google is testing a local alternative — a "pre-auth token" tied to the package being installed.

At the same time, the changes will not affect early-stage enthusiasts: the official IDE (Android Studio) and ADB remain usable for development and testing without additional barriers — at least until the public release of an app.

Despite the strict new rules, Google emphasizes that sideloading remains a "fundamental" part of the Android ecosystem, and verification is only an additional safeguard. Critics, however, note that notable cases of malware have occurred even in the Play Store or among pre-installed apps, meaning the issue is systemic and not limited to third-party sources.

F-Droid has already stated that the new verification scheme could effectively destroy the project, as it relies on independently auditing external APKs and resigning them with its own keys.

Google acknowledges that some developers may wish to remain anonymous — for example, due to the risk of persecution in unfriendly jurisdictions. The company promises not to disclose data publicly, yet skeptics point out that this requires a high level of trust in Big Tech’s corporate ethics.

The verification process is scheduled to launch in 2026, and until then, the company says it is ready to consider feedback from the community to fine-tune the rules before global rollout.

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