Google has announced plans to begin checking the IDs of all developers who distribute apps on Android.
“Android requires that all apps be registered by a validated developer for users to install on certified Android devices,” the company said. “This creates important accountability and makes it much more difficult for a malicious actor to quickly distribute another harmful app after removing the first app.”
To that end, Tech Giant said it plans to gradually send invitations from October 2025 before opening it to all developers in March 2026. In September 2026, new requirements are expected to come into effect in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand in the next year.
“At this point, apps installed on certified Android devices in these regions must be registered by a verified developer,” added Suzanne Frey, vice president of Android products, trust and growth.
It is worth noting that for developers who distribute apps through the Google Play Store, they are likely to have already met these verification requirements through the existing Play console process, so it won’t change much. Another type of Android Developer Console account is working for students and enthusiast developers.
Google said the change was designed to prevent malicious actors from spoofing developers and using branding and reputation to create persuasive fake apps. What exacerbates the problem is the presence of such malicious apps distributed through the market for third-party apps that users can sideload.
The developer verification mandate adds to existing security measures that block sideloading of potentially dangerous apps in markets such as Singapore, Thailand, Brazil, and India.
In July 2023, the company began requesting all new developer accounts to register as an organization to provide a valid DUNS number assigned by Dun & Bradstreet before submitting the app to build trust for users.
The “new layer of security” aims to protect users from repeated bad actors spreading malware and fraud, and aims to provide a “consistent common sense baseline of developer accountability” across Android. It also says that the system will store user choices while enhancing security for everyone.
The Android App Distribution rules aim to enhance the security of the ecosystem, but it is possible that Google is staring at major reforms in the Play Store, including distributing competing app stores through Google Play and providing rivals with access to the full app catalog after Google lost in an antitrust lawsuit brought by Epic Games in 2020.
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