Google last year announced changes to the sideloading process for apps on Android that would require developers to be verified as a security measure. However, the company made some concessions with a solution for "power users" that would allow installation without verification. Google is now preparing to implement the "Install without Verification" process, which Google itself describes as "high-friction."
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In August 2025, Google announced that Android would require developer verification to install apps, even if they were installed manually by the end user. Following this announcement, Google confirmed in November 2025 that there would be an installation option for 'power users', which would allow sideloading apps without the need for developer verification.
Earlier this month, Android Authority editors spotted strings within the Google Play Store that indicate work on this new process. The strings found aren't particularly new, having appeared a few months ago, even before Google's announcement in August. One of the strings states: 'If you install without verification, be aware that apps from unverified developers may put your device and data at risk,' while others hint at the need for an internet connection for verification.
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The chains themselves don't offer much in terms of content, but they prompted Matthew Forsythe, Chief Product Explainer for Google Play, to offer further clarification.
Forsythe said in a tweet that Google's changes to Android sideloading are not a "restriction," but rather a "Level of Accountability." The new sideloading process, Forsythe says, is "high-friction" to ensure that users understand the risks of installing an app that hasn't been verified by Google.
In November, Google described the new sideloading process as filled with "clear warnings," leaving "the choice in their hands," referring to users. The goal, as Google's previous explanation explains, is to help users avoid being tricked into bypassing security checks.
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Google has targeted scams fueled by sideloading apps in some countries, with some success, but simply adding a little more friction to the installation process seems like a good idea to avoid problems when users are tricked into bypassing the existing sideloading process. Sideloading scams will exist as long as the process exists, but Google seems to want to put in as many safeguards as possible.
