
Google is introducing a new defense for Android called ‘Developer Verification’ to block malware installations from sideloaded apps sourced from outside the official Google Play app store. For apps on Google Play, there was already a requirement for publishers to provide a Data Universal Numbering System number, which was introduced on August 31, 2023. Google says this has had a notable effect in reducing malware on the platform.
However, the system didn’t apply to the vast developer ecosystem outside the app store.
“We have seen how malicious actors hide behind anonymity to harm users by impersonating developers and using their brand image to create convincing fake apps,” reads Google’s announcement.
“The scale of this threat is significant: our recent analysis found over 50 times more malware from internet-sideloaded sources than on apps available through Google Play.”
Despite the threat being more prevalent outside Google Play, the developer verification requirement applies to both apps on Google Play and apps hosted on third-party app stores.
Early access to the Developer Verification program will begin this year in October, and the system will open to all Android application developers in March 2026.
In September 2026, the identity verification requirement will become mandatory for Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, before it rolls out globally in 2027.
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