Google wants to fight Android malware by making sideloading more difficult — here's how

Google Play store on an Android device — (Image credit: Rafapress/Shutterstock)

Google is rolling out a new line of defense to protect Android users and certified devices. As reported by Bleeping Computer, a new program called Developer Verification will help block malware installations from sideloaded apps that have been downloaded from outside of the official Google Play store.

Apps that were in the Play store were already covered under a requirement established in August 2023 called D-U-N-S (Data Universal Numbering System).

Google has said that the D-U-N-S program saw a notable change in the amount of malware on the platform but because it didn’t apply to the developers and apps that existed outside of the official Play store, users were still seeing malware infections on their devices. Threat actors would spread malware by impersonating legitimate developers and creating convincing fakes of real apps in order to trick users into downloading their malicious versions of real apps.

The new verification requirement applies to apps on the Play store and on third-party app stores; starting in 2026 all apps installed on certified Android devices must come from verified developers who have been certified through the new program. A certified Android device is a device that has passed Google’s Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) and is approved to ship with Google Play Services, the Play Store and Play Protect. This includes mainstream devices from Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi and the Google Pixel line.

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Amber Bouman is the senior security editor at Tom's Guide where she writes about antivirus software, home security, identity theft and more. She has long had an interest in personal security, both online and off, and also has an appreciation for martial arts and edged weapons. With over two decades of experience working in tech journalism, Amber has written for a number of publications including PC World, Maximum PC, Tech Hive, and Engadget covering everything from smartphones to smart breast pumps.

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