US EditionGoogle will let Android power users bypass upcoming sideloading restrictions
Google will let experienced Android users sideload unverified apps on limited devices via an advanced flow while enforcing developer verification to reduce scam apps.
- On November 12, 2025 Google opened early-access to the developer verification portal and began building an advanced sideloading flow for experienced users to accept risks and install unverified apps.
- The August policy required developers outside Google Play to submit personal details and sometimes government ID as Google says verification aims to curb scam apps and fraud.
- The advanced installation process will bypass full identity checks but limit distribution to a small number of devices, with warnings and a lighter verification tier for students and hobbyists.
- The phased rollout will start in 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, and once verification rolls out, unverified apps will not install on Google-certified devices.
- Despite concessions and pushback, Google is continuing core verification as the Keep Android Open campaign and F-Droid repository warn mandatory identity checks deter hobbyists and students.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Google will let you sideload ANY app to your Android phone ...but only if you're an 'experienced user'
Google is giving you the freedom to install apps from any source on your smartphone or tablet.It's a dramatic U-turn on its previous announcement around restricting the ability to sideload, confirmed back in September. With this latest update, Google has backtracked on most of the strict verification requirements that would have effectively ended sideloading for many Android users.Sideloading, one of the key differentiators between Android and i…
Google will allow 'experienced users' to sideload unverified Android apps
In August, Google announced that it will implement a new safety feature that would require developers to verify their identities if they want Android users to be able to sideload their apps. Now, the company has started inviting developers that distribute exclusively outside of the Play Store to the early access of the identity verification feature in Android Developer Console. Google has also revealed in the same announcement that despite its n…
Google Eases New Android Rules To Allow Sideloading of Apps on Google TV
Google has adjusted its controversial plan to mandate identity verification for all Android developers, including those distributing apps outside the official Play Store. The company is now creating a special installation process for experienced users to sideload apps from unverified developers, addressing widespread fears that the original policy would effectively eliminate sideloading on Android devices. […] The post Google Eases New Android R…
Google will let "power users" continue to sideload apps from unverified developers
Most phones, tablets, and other devices that ship with Google’s Android operating system come with the Google Play Store pre-installed. But as long as Android’s been around, there’s also been a feature that lets you install apps downloaded from other sources through a process generally known as “sideloading.” But this summer the company announced that […] The post Google will let “power users” continue to sideload apps from unverified developers…
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