Google will require every Android app developer to verify their identity, extending a policy that has applied to the Play Store since 2023 to all distribution channels, including sideloading and third-party app stores. Apps from unverified developers will be blocked from installation on certified Android devices, a category that covers virtually all handsets that ship with Google services. The company will issue early-access invitations for the new Developer Verification program in October 2025 and open registration to all developers in March 2026. Mandatory compliance starts in September 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, before a planned global expansion in 2027. Google likens the process to an airport ID check and says the move targets repeat malware offenders. The firm cites internal data indicating that apps sideloaded from the internet are 50 times more likely to contain malicious code than those on Google Play. A separate console is being prepared for hobbyist and student developers, while commercial developers will have to submit personal or corporate details, such as a D-U-N-S number. The initiative comes as Google balances security pressures with antitrust rulings that are poised to widen distribution options for Android software.