Google is updating the rollout schedule for upcoming changes to Android app sideloading aimed at improving safety for apps installed outside the Google Play Store. The company previously introduced a developer verification program to make sideloading more secure and said users would need to wait 24 hours before sideloading apps from unverified developers.
According to reports, Google begins rolling out a new system service this month on most Android devices. The service is intended to support later verification steps, including checking developer registration.
The key tightening of rules is expected to take effect on September 30, 2026. From that date, users who install apps from unverified developers will be required to use a more complex “advanced flow,” which includes a 24-hour delay. Google frames the change as an anti-scam and anti-malware measure, saying apps sideloaded from the internet face higher risk than those obtained through the Play Store.
Google is also introducing alternative, simpler options intended to help certain users—such as hobbyists—continue installing apps outside the Play Store under less burdensome conditions.
