"Experienced" Android phone owners might still be able to sideload unverified apps

Sideloading apps on Android devices is set to change with Google recently announcing that only apps that have come from verified developers can be installed on Android devices. That looked to shut to door on sideloading, but Google is working on a solution for "experienced users".

Google's move to enforce verification is all about keeping Android users safe. It's a measure to reduce those who fall victim to financial scams, by installing an app that's not secure.

But Android has always been about a software platform that's an open playground, where users have the option to install whatever they want – as long as they understand the risks.

That feedback to Google's August announcement about blocking sideloading obviously didn't fall on deaf ears, as the company is putting into place an option for experienced users to sideload apps. This is going to exist so that "hobbyists" and "students" can continue to develop their own apps and use them on an Android device.

Google says that this sideloading option will be designed to withstand coercive installation, where someone tries to force you to install an app, which is a common tactic with scammers. That will mean plenty of notifications about the risks, but leaves the door open for people to choose.

That will come as a relief for those Android owners who want to install software that's not yet been released, is region blocked, or no longer supported, and to enjoy the open experience that Android has always offered.

Google says that the process is in development, with enforced verification coming into effect in 2026. These early stages will see developers able to get verification for distribution outside of the Play Store, but we're still some months from this all dropping into place.

The timing seems convenient considering the Epic vs Google battle.

In the last roll of the dice, Epic and Google moved to negotiate a settlement that would see Google open up Android to third-party apps stores, while also changing the rates and available mechanisms for payment.

That could see quite a change for Android in the coming year and while the freedoms that Android users have long enjoyed may change, it seems there will still be a way to do what you want with an Android phone or tablet.