Google to require identity verification for all Android developers
Developers can begin signing up for early access to the system in October 2025 to test the process and provide feedback
Google will soon require every Android app developer, whether they distribute software through its Play Store or outside of it, to undergo identity verification, in an effort to clamp down on malicious apps and developer impersonation.
The policy, which rolls out in phases starting October 2025, will initially take effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand before expanding worldwide by 2027.
"Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed by users on certified Android devices," the company said.
"This creates crucial accountability, making it much harder for malicious actors to quickly distribute another harmful app after we take the first one down."
The decision comes as Google faces mounting pressure to tighten Android's security ecosystem. While the company has required developer verification on its Play Store since 2023, a survey it conducted revealed that malware was over 50 times more likely to reach users via internet-sideloaded apps than through official channels.
Malicious actors have long exploited third-party marketplaces, cloning popular apps and distributing them under fake branding to trick users.
Unlike Apple's tightly controlled iOS ecosystem, Android allows sideloading, installing apps from outside official stores, a feature that has both empowered user choice and enabled widespread abuse.
Critics worry that with the announced measures Google is moving towards making Android a walled garden, like iOS, restricting what users can install on their own hardware.
Phased rollout
Google said developers can begin signing up for early access to the system in October 2025 to test the process and provide feedback. By March 2026, verification will go live for all developers.
By September 2026, the requirement will be enforced in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, with global enforcement beginning in 2027.
At that point, "any app installed on a certified Android device in these regions must be registered by a verified developer," Suzanne Frey, vice president of Product, Trust and Growth for Android, said.
Verification will require developers to provide their legal name, address, email, and phone number. While this may push some independent developers to register as businesses to maintain privacy, Google said it will offer alternative account types for students and hobbyists whose needs differ from commercial developers.
The new mandate builds on previous measures. In July 2023, Google began requiring developer accounts registering as organisations to submit a valid D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet before submitting apps.
The company framed its latest step as a "new layer of security" designed to prevent repeat offenders from cycling through fake identities to distribute malware and scams.
The move also mirrors Apple's recent changes in the European Union, where developers distributing through the App Store must now provide their "trader status" to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Google stressed that the new rules will have little impact on developers already distributing through Google Play, since they already meet verification requirements through the Play Console process.
The announcement comes amid ongoing discussions and potential reforms to the Google Play Store following Google's 2020 antitrust lawsuit loss to Epic Games.
Among these reforms could be the introduction of competing app stores available through Google Play and allowing rivals access to its complete app catalogue – moves that could further change the Android app ecosystem.