Source: Ars Technica
Article note: Ever so slightly less bullshit than early signs.
That's got to be strategic, just like the whole thing is a "You're technically allowed, but the instructions are on display in the third sub-basement, in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'" move.
Google is planning big changes for Android in 2026 aimed at combating malware across the entire device ecosystem. Starting in September, Google will begin restricting application sideloading with its developer verification program, but not everyone is on board. Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat tells Ars that the company has been listening to feedback, and the result is the newly unveiled advanced flow, which will allow power users to skip app verification.
With its new limits on sideloading, Android phones will only install apps that come from verified developers. To verify, devs releasing apps outside of Google Play will have to provide identification, upload a copy of their signing keys, and pay a $25 fee. It all seems rather onerous for people who just want to make apps without Google's intervention.
Apps that come from unverified developers won't be installable on Android phones—unless you use the new advanced flow, which will be buried in the developer settings.
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