Google will soon verify the identities of developers who distribute Android apps outside the Play Store. Developers must submit their information to a new Android Developer Console, increasing their ...

Don't miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google. Do you sideload apps on your Android device? Enjoy while you can, because Google will soon only allow apps from ...

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

Google will require developer identity verification for all Android apps, including sideloading. New non-Play Developer Console will collect legal name, address, email and phone; info won't be public.

From September 2026, any developer who wants to distribute apps outside of the Play Store will need to complete a new identity verification process. This verification is done through the updated ...

Suzanne Frey, Google’s VP of product, trust and growth for Android, explained the move in a blog post. She said it will slow down attackers who try to repackage malware again and again. “This creates ...

We adhere to a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is crafted by an in-house team of experts in technology, hardware, software, and more. With years of experience in tech news and ...

Facepalm: The Android ecosystem has traditionally offered a more permissive approach to app development and delivery through third-party means. Now, Google is announcing a significant change that will ...

Google will implement a new safety feature that would require developers to verify their identity if they want Android users to be able to sideload their apps. The company said that it made the ...