Google has introduced developer verification as a brand new layer of safety for putting in Android apps, although US builders won’t face the brand new requirement till 2027 or later.
Introduced August 25, the coverage is meant to higher shield customers from repeat dangerous actors spreading scams and malware by means of app downloads. Starting subsequent yr, Android will begin requiring all apps to be registered by a verified developer to be able to be put in on licensed Android gadgets. The trouble offers essential accountability and makes it tougher for malicious actors to quickly distribute dangerous apps.
Google suggested builders to consider the process like an ID examine on the airport, which confirms a traveler’s id individually from baggage screening. The developer’s id can be confirmed however Android authorities won’t evaluation the content material of the app or the place it got here from. The preliminary rollout is deliberate in nations particularly impacted by fraudulent app scams, which frequently come from repeat perpetrators. The brand new verification requirement will go into impact in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026. Apps on licensed Android gadgets in these areas at the moment have to be registered by a verified developer. Plans name for rolling out the necessities globally in 2027 and past. Verification opens for all builders in March 2026.