Android Sideloading Isn’t Going Away—But It’s About to Change

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I first caught this news on Hacker News - one of my favorite internet rabbit holes for tech news. Google just announced a big change: in the near future, sideloading apps on Android will only be allowed if the developer is verified. That means APK files from unverified developers won’t install on “certified” Android devices anymore.

What Will Happen

Here are some official sources:

In short:

Starting September 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand—and then globally by 2027 - Google will require developer identity verification for sideloading to remain functional on certified Android devices.

Why I Think This Is a Problem (for me, at least)

Android lovers are customization lovers

The power to install APKs was one of my “because-Android” reasons. Sure, most folks don’t notice or care—many don’t even know what sideloading is—but it’s a great thing for power users and tinkerers like me.

Sideloading isn’t just pirated apps

Google often frames sideloading as a security risk, but it has real-world use cases. For example, when I moved to Japan, I had to install an app called DON!DON!ドライブ (an online learning tool for driving schools). My Google account region was still set to Vietnam, so the Play Store wouldn’t let me download it. The solution? Sideload the APK. Problem solved.

Without sideloading, I would’ve had to create a brand-new Google account, tie it to a Japanese credit card, and manage two accounts just to get one app.

Development for hobby projects gets awkward

Sometimes I like to tinker with Android apps in my free time—just hobby projects, nothing serious. Right now, I can write some code, build an APK, and install it on my phone in minutes.

With this change, I’ll need a developer account, log in through Android Studio, and hope it’s free. Google says they’ll create a special account type for students and hobbyists, but they didn’t mention pricing. If it’s like Apple’s $99/year developer fee… well, goodbye fun weekend projects. Good thing I still have an old tablet running LineageOS.

Sideloading is already gated (almost)

On most Android phones, you can’t just sideload an app by accident. You need to enable developer mode or change permissions, and Android already throws up giant scary warnings about malware. The barrier is already there. Google’s move feels more like locking the door, not just putting up a warning sign.

Could they have handled this better?

Maybe. If sideloading is here to stay (as it should be), just show a big flashing red warning when someone tries to install an app from an unverified source.

“Warning: This developer isn’t verified—this app could steal your bank details!”.

That would probably stop 99% of normal users. But at least it wouldn’t kill flexibility for the rest of us.

The other side of the coin

To be fair, there is a reason for this. Scam apps are a massive problem in places like South Asia and Vietnam. Fake banking apps, malware, and phishing apps spread through APKs every day.

Google’s plan will probably protect millions of “normal” users who just want a safe phone experience. Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of power users.

What’s Next?

This is just an announcement, so a lot of details aren’t clear yet:

  • For now, only “certified Android devices” — those with Play Store/Services — are affected.
  • Rollout is staggered by region, so depending where you live, this could still be a while before it hammers home.

Meanwhile, this quote from Hacker News sums it up best:

“Every day we stray farther from the premise that we should be allowed to install/modify software on the computers we own.”