Do you like writing software for Android, perhaps even sideload the occasional APK onto your Android device? In that case some big changes are heading your way, with Google announcing that they will soon require developer verification for all applications installed on certified Android devices – meaning basically every mainstream device. Those of us who have distributed Android apps via the Google app store will have noticed this change already, with developer verification in the form of sending in a scan of your government ID now mandatory, along with providing your contact information.
What this latest change thus effectively seems to imply is that workarounds like sideloading or using alternative app stores, like F-Droid, will no longer suffice to escape these verification demands. According to the Google blog post, these changes will be trialed starting in October of 2025, with developer verification becoming ‘available’ to all developers in March of 2026, followed by Google-blessed Android devices in Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore becoming the first to require this verification starting in September of 2026.
Google expects that this system will be rolled out globally starting in 2027, meaning that every Google-blessed Android device will maintain a whitelist of ‘verified developers’, not unlike the locked-down Apple mobile ecosystem. Although Google’s claim is that this is for ‘security’, it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing – verified – developer accounts, nor does it harden Android against unscrupulous apps. More likely is that this will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple’s mobile OS offerings, especially for the hobbyist and open source developer.
Boycott all proprietary software and centralized services. Open source de-googled Android ROMs will continue to exist so everyone should make an effort to use those. Alternative frontends like invidious, newpipe, nitter, redlib are shaky but useful services if you want to stick to your guns. Use linux and open source software and try to use decentralized protocols like email, matrix, mastodon etc.
All the more reason to move to an OS not in the palm of google. I moved to a phone with no google anything years ago. I’m not going to lie, it was difficult, and my phone does not work as well as a normie phone, but the feeling of not being under google’s thumb is priceless.
I worry about how this will effect the app ecosystem outside of the google play.
They don’t want us fiddling with our personal tracking devices. Simple as.
Time to start rooting again.
Does this prevent pirating apk files to get installations of apps you have not purchased? If it does it would also then block installation of old apps which run but have no recent support.
Interesting. There is a mechanism to allow another app store, even via one click agreement (allow install from unknown sources). I suspect that was part of an EU requirement.
But this new change, would imply that even 3rd party app stores would have to carry “approved developer” content only.
so then what good is android if you cant run your own damn code on it?
It’s useless if you can’t run your own code. Might as well go back to a flip phone if there’s no way to bypass it.
No problem. I use phone as a phone/text device. Use my Linux desktops for development and applications. I can see this more as more phone vendors worry about security and lock ’em down more and more … Remember, if anything bad happens the finger always points back to them. This world is all about security and more security. And people being sue happy … and companies don’t like to pay out money… Well, this is the result.
Well. I’d been considering switching to Graphene, I definitely will when f-droid isn’t trivial to use.