Google about to ban sideloading apk's

[ivory inlet]

Based on what I can read from this it means that all the indie devs and even kids who just want to make a fun game for their phone have to show their passport like they're passing borders?
Seems like a reverse step since it'll inconvenience everyone.

Yes sure all the malware developers too, for a bit.. which will just find another way sooner than later but all the honest working flappy bird 2 clone developers which will perhaps make your next favorite game will suffer into the far future.
Not everyone is keen to give out every personal detail like it's bread at a bakery.

This is a huge change for the android world and a sad (and also really crazy) one in my opinion. And I can't believe that this is real... whew

What do you all think?

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/08/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year/

[sterile knoll]

If you are to publish a game and you are not ready to prove your identity you are either not serious or with wrong intention. Either way, the game you are producing will most likely be undesired.

That being said, for folks that would look like to prove their identity but cannot due to unforeseen issue, it is going to suck for sure.

[loud radish]

As long as you can still deploy an ap via adb to test without a gplay account and platforms like fdroid still work it should be okay

[ivory inlet]

i wonder if they'll block that too 🤔

haven't really thought about that adb part but isn't it literally just installing an apk?

[loud radish]

ADB let's us install an app yea and it's what unity uses for build and run.