Sideloading Applications from Non-Verified Sources on Android Devices to Be Limited Beginning in 2026

Sideloading Applications from Non-Verified Sources on Android Devices to Be Limited Beginning in 2026

Sideloading Applications from Non-Verified Sources on Android Devices to Be Limited Beginning in 2026

Only developers who authenticate their identity will be permitted to allow users to sideload their applications.

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

Essential information

  • Google mandates that developers confirm their identity prior to their applications reaching your device.
  • This will be enforced starting September 2026, initially in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, where dubious apps have been flourishing.
  • A new Android Developer Console will be introduced, offering a simplified version for hobbyists and students.

Say goodbye to the era of unrestricted side-loading, as Google is altering the dynamics of how apps are installed on your Android device. Commencing next year, any application you wish to download, particularly from outside the Play Store, must come from a developer who has completed a new verification stage.

Rather than regulating app content, Google is implementing a system that confirms the identity of developers before their apps can be sideloaded or installed on certified devices. This process will be mandatory beginning in September 2026 in selected areas, such as Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, where Google asserts that scams and harmful apps have been especially troublesome.