Google to require identity verification for all Android app developers from next year

• A global rollout of the policy is planned from 2027 onward.
• Developers must provide personal details and may need to submit a government ID.
• Change mainly impacts those distributing apps outside Google Play.
• Update aims to curb malware and scams by blocking banned developers from returning under new aliases.

Google will require identity verification for all developers distributing Android apps from next year.

Starting September 2026, developers in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand must verify their identities for apps to be installed on certified Android devices via third-party stores, with a global rollout planned from 2027 onward.

The new requirement mandates Android developers to submit personal details like their legal name, address, email, and phone number, and possibly upload an official government ID. 

The change mainly affects developers distributing apps outside the Play Store, since identity verification is already required for Google Play.

Improving security 

Google said the update is designed to protect users from malware and scams by preventing banned developers from reappearing under new aliases.

“By making Android safer, we’re protecting the open environment that allows developers and users to confidently create and connect,” Google said in an announcement. 

“Android’s new developer verification is an extra layer of security that deters bad actors and makes it harder for them to spread harm.”

Earlier this month, a US court rejected Google’s appeal in the Epic Games case, upholding a ruling that the company held an illegal monopoly with its Play Store. 

The decision requires Google to allow rival app marketplaces and payment options, ban exclusive launch incentives, and end mandatory use of its billing system, with the injunction set to last three years once implemented.