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Android's new developer verification rollout begins, sideloading changes are next
(www.androidauthority.com)
this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2026
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Great. So half my software won't work.
Google, just call it what it is. Ad blocking prevention.
This is in no way a justification for what Google is doing, but they came to a "compromise" where you can still opt-in to being allowed to "sideload unverified apps" (read: install apps that didn't have to get approval from Google).
You have to enable it in the settings, and then you need to wait 24 hours before the setting is enabled. After that you can continue to run "unverified" apps
The "advanced flow" with a one-day wait is just Google realizing they need to boil this frog a little more slowly to prevent a backlash. They still want a fully boiled frog in the end.
Xiaomi bootloaders used to work like that. You'd have to jump through some bullshit hoops to register your phone for bootloader unlocking, and then wait a few days to finally be able to unlock it. Then they made that worse and worse, and afaik it's so insanely difficult and inconvenient right now that it's practically impossible to unlock your Xiaomi phone's bootloader. This applies to all the brands under that umbrella.
I am about 97.37% sure Google will do the same over time and at some point you just won't be able to install any APKs.
Even google's "verified apps" are full of spyware, backdoors, and telemetry. They're so fucking hypocritical. Like an abuser who says "You can't make it in this world without me!"
Also, is this going to effect third-party ROMs like Lineage and its offshoots?
AFAIK, this is only Android, not AOSP that third-party devs would be using for their ROMs - and AOSP can be forked as well, so there's no reason that Lineage can't cut that part out if it did make it into AOSP.
Good to know!
What I haven't seen is what happens to all of the apps I currently have installed when this hits.
Am I going to have to wait 24 hours to open apps I already have installed?
Will they all get auto-removed and need reinstalling?
Everything is written as if you're starting from new not an existing state.
24hrs is a one time system flag for can install unverified apps or not, so it shouldn't affect existing stuff.
At the start I would have thought this was possible but pretty ridiculous. Why would Google do any of that?
But it turns out this was not ridiculous, as Play Protect literally just removed Ankiconnect, an app I already had installed for months, without giving me the choice to keep it or axe it. They certainly could force us to go with their "Uncle Google can I have permission to use my phone?" flow for apps we already use.
WE MUST CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THESE CHANGES, THESE ATTACKS ON OUR ABILITY TO INSTALL APPS AS WE WISH.
What happens if I just stop updating android for as long as I can? Quite a few apps on my phone have retained functionality past when their developers attempted to brick them because I froze updates
google services update themselves separately
google services update themselves separately
I'm still sitting on Android 9 on a seven year old phone. They can take my Note 8 from my dead body. Its battery life is still fine and it's still snappy and fast.
My banking app stopped working so I just use the browser page. A few smart device apps won't work either, but I have a tablet I keep at home to use for my home control.
Discord still works fine. I have Reddit side loaded, still using RiF after the API fiasco. Those are really the only two things I need an actual app for an even then I'd probably just use the browser if they failed. Most apps still work as of now. Amazon won't let kindle work on it anymore but fuck Amazon, I just get non-drm stuff on a different reader now.
Most phone companies refused to enable voice over broadband option after the 3g network went down in 2022 but I stayed stubborn and kept calling until finding T-mobile would do it.
I guess I'll find out what happens when this update is pushed through? It shouldn't hit me I'd hope.
I just upgraded to a fairphone 6 with e/os preinstalled after holding on to my LG G6 for at least 7 years. The thing that finally pushed me to upgrade was the camera, which was fine in 2019 but now is such a potato. Also the battery life was ass, the usbc port was super loose, and the micro sd card slot was broken so I was perpetually almost out of storage.
My Samsung S22 let me pause updates anymore. And it nags me to death.
My workaround is to start downloading the update and then pausing it.
RIP, that's cancer. Yeah samsung has lost its fucking mind. I wish I had been considering the availability of 3rd party roms when I chose my model
Hello from Android 12 lol. My 4yo phone runs just fine!
Sick. Any security scares or compatibility problems?
None I'm aware of. I've uninstalled pretty much every Google app, signed out of gmail acct and am mostly using F-Droid apps since I don't need any "app store" apps. I kept my banking app, but apparently so far doesn't need Google's services bc it still works just fine. My battery, since making that switch, lasts a bit longer without all that stuff running.
But FYI, I don't have any social media, and I only use WiFi unless I'm on the road. I don't BT to my car but rarely, and I don't need location services. So 1 day+life is easily achievable!
This is all managed via Play services not the android OS so you'd need to not update the core services.
Got that one froze too 🤞 pray for me holding out in the woods on this shit like the unabomber
There is a way to not update play services? They do their shit in automatic on my phone
It's under settings > Security Privacy. You might need dev mode turned on
Thank you
Edit: apparently it's the playstore that manages play service updates, just disable play store automatic updates
Haven't seen anything official but I'd assume they will behave as normal and you may not be able to update them without going through the advanced flow. Since ADB installs aren't restricted I don't think there will be any changes to existing installs. Just my thoughts based on what they have confirmed so far. I am just waiting for GOS to support the Pixel 10a so I can get further away from Google and their BS in general.
That's my hope, would be nice of they actually confirmed it.
With their story being "for security" I could see them trying to do a purge.
FYI, there's an experimental build available, if you can't wait.
https://grapheneos.org/releases#stallion
Thanks, I'm aware but this is already my daily driver because my old phone was dying so I can't make the jump until it is stable.
It won't do anything to apps already installed. Future apps can be installed either by going through the dev mode unlock process or connecting to a computer and using ADB which doesn't require a wait period.
For now at least, google will likely remove that option in the future.
it wont remain at that. i bet they will disable that setting occasionally and make you wait that 24h again and again.