Android developer verification on track for September, ‘Verifier’ service will soon auto-install

Google today published an update on Android developer verification, which is set for its initial launch later this year and will continue into 2027.

Since the registration process launched in March, Google says millions of apps have been verified. This includes “nearly all installs on Google Play and a large majority of installs from outside of Google Play.”

Starting September 30, users in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand will see the developer verification protections, which will block installs from unknown developers to combat malicious actors. Google will “begin by verifying app installations from the following stores.”

• Google (Google Play)
• Honor (HONOR App Market)
• OPlus (OPPO App Market)
• Samsung (Galaxy Store)
• Transsion (Palm Store)
• vivo (V-Appstore)
• Xiaomi (GetApps)

Behind the scenes, Google will automatically roll out a new system service called Android Developer Verifier (com.google.android.verifier) to Android 8+ devices. Once installed, it “validates that an app is registered to a verified developer.” This app/background service will start rolling out in June ahead of the September deadline. 

In July, Google will start granting early access to limited distribution accounts on the Android Developer Console, with a global launch in August. 

This new type of Android developer account is designed for students, hobbyists, and learners and lets you share your apps to up to 20 devices without a government-issued ID or a fee.

Google is also launching the Android Developer ID Status API to streamline app registration. This will let developers “register apps in bulk or directly through [their] continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.”

This August, we’ll also see the previously announced “advanced flow” for sideloading applications from unverified developers. Users can alternatively use the Android Debug Bridge (adb) to install apps.

In “2027 and beyond,” Google will launch the Android verification requirement globally “after incorporating the feedback from our partners, users, and developer community.”