Google's Android developer verification began in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand on Sept.
30, 2026.
Developers need to verify to keep apps in seven major stores.
For developers distributing APKs from their own sites, registration costs $25 and usually requires government ID; hobbyists and students can use a free account limited to 20 devices.
The new rules came into effect on September 30, 2026, for now only in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Google is using the four countries as a testing ground. For Greece and the rest of Europe, nothing has changed yet. Expansion to other markets is expected from 2027 onwards, without a specific date being given.
What will the user do?
The process begins by enabling Developer Options in the settings. The user confirms that they are not being directed to bypass security settings and restarts the device. The restart is intended to stop any remote access or active calls that a scammer could exploit. Then, authentication is performed, followed by a 24-hour wait, and a final authentication is requested to confirm the choice.
This process only needs to be done once. The user can then allow installation of unverified apps for seven days or indefinitely. The “Allow indefinitely” option keeps APK files installed, with a warning that the developer has not been verified. Developer Options can then be disabled without revoking the permission. This is useful because some banking and enterprise apps may not work properly when developer mode is active.
The rules apply to new installations, not to apps already on the device. Updates, however, count as new installations, and an update to an unverified app will require the advanced flow. There can also be a problem with modified apps like Morphe: when their original signing keys are changed, Android can recognize them as unverified and block their updates.
Where verification is applied
In the first phase, Google requires verification for apps available through seven stores: Google Play, HONOR App Market, OPPO App Market, Samsung Galaxy Store, Transsion Palm Store, vivo V-Appstore and Xiaomi GetApps. Developers must be verified to remain available on these stores.
Other stores and APKs downloaded directly from websites are not yet included. Verification is expected to be expanded to all third-party app stores in 2027, and Google is encouraging developers to complete the process sooner.
Any developer who wants to distribute APKs from their own website must register with Google's Android Developer Verification. Registration costs $25, about 22 euros, and usually requires identification with a government document. For hobbyists and students, there is a free limited distribution account, which allows applications to be distributed to up to 20 devices without verification.
It's unclear what will happen to repositories like F-Droid and GitHub. Many developers who publish there don't want to give their identities to Google. Their apps won't be blocked from being installed, but they will require users to go through more checks.
Excluded installation methods
The advanced flow is for regular installations from the web directly to the device. Installation via ADB—via USB cable or wireless debugging—still works as before. The same goes for tools like Shizuku, which rely on wireless debugging. Google believes that those who know how to use ADB are less likely to fall victim to scams.
Custom Android operating systems, such as GrapheneOS and LineageOS, are also exempt from the restrictions. They do not include Google's Developer Verifier framework, which enforces the new checks.
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