What you need to know • Google is requiring developers to verify their identity before their apps hit your phone. • This kicks in September 2026, starting with Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, where shady apps have been thriving. • A new Android Developer Console is coming, with a lighter version for hobbyists and students.

Forget the old days of a free-for-all for side-loading, as Google is shaking things up with how apps get on your Android phone. Starting next year, any app you want to install, especially from outside the Play Store, will have to come from a developer who has gone through a new verification process.

Instead of policing app content, Google is introducing a system that verifies the identity of developers before their apps can be sideloaded or installed

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