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Android Developer Verification: Walls Go Up This Year
19 Jun
Summary
- Developer verification system to begin in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.
- Third-party app stores will participate in Google's developer verification.
- A bypass for verified apps will be available globally in August.
Google's developer verification system for Android apps is set to launch on September 30, targeting countries with high app scam prevalence: Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. This initiative aims to combat malware by verifying developer identities for apps distributed both within and outside the Google Play Store. Developers who do not register will find their apps blocked from installation on Google-certified Android devices.
The verification process will extend to several third-party app stores, including those from Honor, OPPO, Samsung, vivo, and Xiaomi. To streamline the experience for developers, new APIs will be introduced in the coming months. These include an Android Developer ID Status API to check existing registrations and an Android Developer Console API for managing app packages directly from development environments.
In July, Google plans to roll out new developer APIs and test a "limited distribution" account feature for hobbyists, which will not require fees or ID verification and allows app installation on up to 20 devices. An "advanced flow" to bypass verification will become globally available in August, though it involves multiple user confirmations and a one-day waiting period. Google intends to expand developer verification globally by 2027.
