With claims that sideloaded apps are 50 times more likely to contain malware, Google is tightening restrictions for ...

Google wants to make sideloading safer on Android by verifiying the identities of developers who distribute apps outside the Play Store.

Currently, developers who create “sideloaded” Android apps are exempt from Google’s verification requirements.

Google is tightening the screws on Android security. From March 2026, developers who distribute apps outside the Play Store ...