Google to require developer verification to install and sideload Android apps \ stacker news ~devs

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Google to require developer verification to install and sideload Android apps news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45017028

1112 sats \ 14 comments \ @bounty_hunter 16h devs

Initially, Google will allow interested developers to sign up for early access starting in October 2025 to test the system and provide feedback. In March 2026, verification will go live for all developers. By September 2026, any app installed on an Android device in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand will have to meet the new requirements. Starting in 2027, the requirements will begin rolling out globally.

This seems bad?

The commentary on Hacker News makes me happy though

Malware is the excuse. Control is the goal. Extracting as much money from people while providing less actual value.

There seems to be mostly outrage there as well.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Scoresby 12h

876 comments in the discussion on HN.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45017028

40 sats \ 8 replies \ @BlokchainB 16h

No more PWAs?

65 sats \ 3 replies \ @bounty_hunter OP 16h

That's a good point. But even so...

If I recall correctly, other than now defunct Mutiny wallet, there's no lightning wallets PWA's?

And I think their devs stated it was a really difficult problem to build a mobile lightning wallet without the native app features.

104 sats \ 0 replies \ @justin_shocknet 14h

https://my.shockwallet.app

Connects over nostr to a remote node to obviate the otherwise complex networking and actually be useful for receiving

105 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek 15h

Coinos and Blitz Wallet can be installed as PWAs

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @supratic 3h

You maybe interested in this #1194605

49 sats \ 2 replies \ @Signal312 15h

It's not just PWAs, right, it's the APKs as well?

That really sucks. Spike in Graphene adoption

85 sats \ 0 replies \ @bitcoingecko 12h

Definitely will make me use graphene

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Artilektt 2h

"Plus using GrapheneOS is less of an option every day, since banks and other 'regulated' sectors use Google Play Protect and similar DRMs to prevent you from connecting from whatever device you want."

Comment from user arielcostas

2 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek 15h

I don't think this affects PWAs

But this will affect zapstore

62 sats \ 0 replies \ @nichro 14h

They're really building a prison, to protect the kids ofc

1008 sats \ 0 replies \ @bounty_hunter OP 16h

This is an automatic kill switch to ever hit mass adoption for MoE.

Change my Mind.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @zuspotirko 10h

On macOS this has existed for a long time. When a developer is unknown (=Apple Inc has not signed the devs pubkeys) then users still have the possibility to bypass it and install anyway