Summary
- Google begins developer verification in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand; global rollout by 2027.
- Developers must submit IDs, pay fees and register each app; unverified apps get blocked for most users.
- F-Droid and NewPipe reject the program, calling it a privacy risk and a step toward a ‘locked-down’ Android.
Google’s controversial developer verification program has officially begun rolling out today, September 30, in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. The program applies to certified Android devices, and Google plans to expand it to every installation source in 2027.
While Android’s official documents proclaim that this will help reduce the spread of malware and “boost user confidence,” developers have criticized Google’s approach and refused to comply, including the team behind F-Droid, Android’s biggest open-source app store.
Google’s program turns Android into a “locked-down platform”
And F-Droid says other developers must also become “advocates for software freedom”
Under the program, developers are required to create a profile and verify their identity with Google if they want full app distribution. Along with the $25 registration fee, individual developers must submit a government-issued photo ID and proof of address. Organizations, on the other hand, need a D-U-N-S number, a verified website, and official documentation.
Further, Google requires each app to be registered individually and verified through a signed APK. There’s a free account that developers can take advantage of as well, but it limits distribution to only 20 registered devices.
Apps from unverified developers will be blocked, although Google gives power users a workaround. Its “advanced flow” involves enabling Developer Mode, confirming that you aren’t being coached, restarting and authenticating your phone, and waiting 24 hours. After completing all those steps, you’re allowed to install unverified apps.
In its open letter against this program, F-Droid argues that Google is transforming Android from an open operating system into a “locked-down platform.” It says accepting Google’s changing terms and surrendering identity documents will only put alternative stores and indie developers at a disadvantage. Moreover, F-Droid unequivocally advises all developers against enrolling “now or ever” and calls on them to become “advocates for software freedom.”
The team behind F-Droid is not the only one publicly standing against Google’s new verification program. NewPipe’s developers have taken the same position in their announcement. They consider the program a privacy violation and refuse to surrender their contributors’ anonymity.
Today’s rollout is limited to four countries, so F-Droid and other direct APK downloads are not yet being checked. However, once the developer verification program expands globally in 2027, many developers will have a harder time distributing their apps to newer, more casual users.