Android starts checking who wrote the app
Developer verification takes effect in four countries today, and reaches every certified device from 2027.
From today, Android enforces developer verification in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, on certified devices running Android 7 and later. It covers the participating stores — Google Play, HONOR, OPPO, Galaxy Store, Palm Store, V-Appstore and GetApps. A global rollout follows in 2027.
In practice a studio already on Play has little to do: Google says 99% of apps are registered automatically, and the rest is identity verification with a government ID plus the app signing keys. Developers distributing only outside Play go through the Android Developer Console instead. There is a limited-distribution account for students and hobbyists that asks for no ID and no fee, capped at twenty devices.
Sideloading survives. Installing an app from an unverified developer still works through ADB and through a new advanced flow for people who choose it deliberately.
Source: developer.android.com