With claims that sideloaded apps are 50 times more likely to contain malware, Google is tightening restrictions for developers distributing apps outside the Play Store.

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

Google will implement a new safety feature that would require developers to verify their identity if they want Android users ...

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

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

Sideloaders face ID checks, fees, and paperwork as Chocolate Factory tightens gates Google will extend developer verification ...

Google is introducing new restrictions on Android app distribution, and it could spell the end for some popular third-party ...

The system's testing is planned to start in October 2025, with global developer access beginning in March 2026. The first regional rollout is scheduled for September 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, ...

Android developers using third-party app stores will soon need their identity confirmed by Google. ...

Still, Oracle, on behalf of Sun, is arguing that Java is a mobile operating system competitor against Android, and that Google is using Java-derived technologies without a proper license.