Overview
- Google has begun inviting developers who distribute outside Google Play to enroll in identity verification through the Android Developer Console, with Play enrollment to follow.
- A new "advanced flow" under design would let experienced users install apps from unverified developers after explicit risk acknowledgments and with anti‑coercion safeguards.
- Google is developing a student and hobbyist account type that allows limited app distribution without full verification, with specifics to be shared in the coming months.
- Android president Sameer Samat said verification will begin in 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand before expanding globally in 2027.
- Community campaigns such as Keep Android Open and F‑Droid pressed for changes to preserve sideloading, while Google points to scams that trick users into installing malware that can intercept two‑factor codes.