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

Google used to do very little curation of the Play Store (or Android Market, if you go back far enough), but it has long ...

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

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

Google will block APK sideloading on Android by 2026. What does the ban mean for developers, consumer rights, and the future ...

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

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

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

Android apps side-loaded from the internet often come from shady sources. Google will soon identify them and block those of ...

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

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

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