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Google is requiring mandatory developer verification for all Android apps in 2026
(keepandroidopen.org)
If you haven't seen this yet, Google is planning to require mandatory developer identity verification for all Android apps, including apps distributed outside the Play Store, taking effect September 2026. This affects every independent and open source Android developer directly.
This is not just about the Play Store. After September 2026, on any certified Android device, applications from unverified developers will be blocked by default. The only proposed bypass, the "advanced flow", exists only as a blog post and has not appeared in any beta, dev preview, or canary release. No one outside Google has seen it.
The community has been fighting back at keepandroidopen.org:
- Read the full breakdown of what this means
- Sign the open letter (organisations only)
- Contact your national regulators — contacts listed by country on the site
- Add the countdown banner to your project
September 2026 is closer than it looks. The time to push back is now.
Keep fighting this shit.
As to the "flow" thing, it's an extra 2 warnings and a mandatory 24 hour waiting period after you select to install apks from unknown sources. It can be permanently enabled, so the 24 hour wait will be a one and done thing if you choose the indefinite option. Googles stated reasoning for this is to prevent non tech people from falling for scam calls or messages using scare tactics like "your bank transfered out your savings" or whatever made to get people to panic and follow whatever commands they're told to do and install before having time to speak to a family member or contact their bank or card company themselves.
For what it's worth, I think that 24 hour part of it would prevent some people from getting scammed. There's a lot of naive people who still fall for stuff like that.
My issue is that I believe this is just a stepping stone to make it even harder or impossible to side load in the future. Like, a year or so later or whenever Google thinks they can get away with it they'll try removing the option to permanently allow side loading. So right now it will just be a few extra clicks and a 24 hour wait one time, but where will they move the bar next?
Plus, they could change it at anytime and make it worse:
https://keepandroidopen.org/
And then your banking app and phone operator application will refuse to work if you have any of custom apk installed, like they do now if you have accessibility permission enabled for any applications or have enabled the developer mode. (Bangkok bank, AIS)
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