Keep your APK installable when Android checks for a verified developer
Since 30 September 2026, installs from Google Play, Galaxy Store and five other participating stores on certified Android devices in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand are checked for a registered developer. Sideloaded apps and other stores are not checked yet, but Google says verification expands globally to all apps on certified devices in 2027. Android Verify Ready works out which path fits each app, checks your signing keys and package names, and prepares every step so you submit with everything Google asks for.
Updated
- The right path per app: Play Console, Android Developer Console full distribution, limited distribution for up to 20 devices, or a managed device setup that does not need it.
- Signing keys and package names checked before you submit, including the hard cases: a package name someone else also uses, several keys, or a lost key.
- You verify your identity directly with Google. We never handle your ID documents or your private signing key.
Verification protections began for installs from participating stores in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand on certified devices running Android 7+.
Source: developer.android.comGoogle says verification will be expanded globally for all apps on certified Android devices in 2027.
Source: developer.android.comGoogle charges $25 for a Full Distribution account in the Android Developer Console and waives the fee for Limited Distribution accounts (up to 20 devices).
Source: developer.android.comUnregistered apps get harder to install, and the global rollout is next year
Google's Android developer verification links every app to a verified person or organization. From 30 September 2026 it is enforced for installs from participating stores, including Google Play, Galaxy Store, Xiaomi GetApps and OPPO App Market, in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Google says verification will be expanded globally for all apps on certified Android devices in 2027, and that it applies to devices running Android 7 or higher.
Apps on Google Play are mostly registered automatically. The ones at risk are distributed some other way: an APK on your website, an internal field or kiosk app sent to staff phones, an app built by a freelancer who has moved on, or an app on an alternative store. Once checks apply, unregistered apps can only be installed or updated by users who complete Android's advanced flow, which includes a one-day wait, or over ADB.
Registering takes more than a form. Organizations need a D-U-N-S number, which Google says can take up to 28 days, a website verified in Google Search Console and official documents. Each package name must be proven with an APK signed by your own key, and Google says that if you lose your signing key you will not be able to register the package.
Without it
- Doing it yourself: Free apart from Google's fee. Google's guides cover each step and Google says identity verification typically takes…
- Limited distribution: Free, with no ID verification, for sharing an app with up to 20 specific devices. Fine for testing and personal use;…
- Managed devices: Google says apps distributed through your organization's store on managed devices do not need verification. Worth it…
With Android Verify Ready
- The right path per app: Play Console, Android Developer Console full distribution, limited distribution for up to 20 devices, or a managed device setup that does not need it.
- Signing keys and package names checked before you submit, including the hard cases: a package name someone else also uses, several keys, or a lost key.
- You verify your identity directly with Google. We never handle your ID documents or your private signing key.
- Path per app
- Document checklist
How it works
- 1
Path check
Tell us how each app reaches users: Play, your website, an alternative store, staff phones or managed devices. We confirm the package count and plan by email before you pay; the plan then starts by telling you which console and account type fits each app, and what you need.
- 2
Keys and package names checked
You send the package names and the SHA-256 fingerprints of your signing certificates, never the keys. We check them against Google's rules for shared names and multiple keys.
- 3
Your submission pack
A checklist of documents for your country and account type, D-U-N-S and Search Console steps for organizations, and the exact build steps to sign the proof-of-ownership APK on your own machine.
- 4
Registered and tested
You submit in Google's console with us on hand. Once the packages show as registered, we help you test an install on a real device and, if you want, add registration to your build pipeline.
Features
Path per app
Play Console, Android Developer Console full distribution, limited distribution, managed devices, or advanced flow for a few power users, chosen per app with the reasons.
Document checklist
What Google accepts for your country: government photo ID and proof of address for individuals; D-U-N-S, a verified website and official documents for organizations.
Signing key audit
Which keys sign which builds, whether Play App Signing already covers you, and where several keys need to be added to one package.
Package name conflicts
If another developer uses the same package name, we explain Google's install-share rules for your case and prepare the request or a rename plan.
Lost key plan
If the original key is gone, a plan to ship under a new package name: what users must reinstall, what data moves, and how to tell them.
Proof-of-ownership build
Step-by-step build instructions to add Google's challenge snippet to the APK assets and sign it with your key on your own machine.
Pipeline registration
For teams shipping often, setup notes for Google's Android Developer Console API so new packages and keys are registered from your build pipeline.
User install notes
A short page for your users or staff explaining what they will see, and what to do if an older unregistered build is still installed.
A look inside
What you get: the working view and the delivery report.
Illustration of the layout, built from this page's own feature list. It shows no real results.
Who it's for
Businesses with an internal APK
A field service, delivery, kiosk or sales app installed on staff phones from a link, built by a freelancer or agency that is no longer around.
Indie developers and open-source maintainers
Apps shipped from a website, GitHub releases or an alternative store, who want registration done once and right.
Agencies and app studios
Client apps outside Play across several organizations, each needing its own verified account, D-U-N-S and package registrations.
Works with
- Android Developer Console
- Google Play Console
- Android Developer Console API and Developer ID Status API
- Google Search Console
- Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S lookup
- Android Studio and Gradle signing
- GitHub Actions and other CI pipelines
- Managed Google Play and Android Enterprise
Pricing
One-time prices, paid once after we confirm the scope by email. Every plan starts with a path check. Google's own $25 Full Distribution fee, where it applies, is paid by you to Google. You complete identity verification and submit in Google's console yourself; we prepare and check everything first. We found no paid competitor offering this as a fixed-price service when we checked on 3 November 2026; Google's consoles and guides are free. Founding customer pricing applies to early-access orders.
Orders are subject to the Android Verify Ready terms.
One app
$49 one-time
One package name, individual or organization account
- Path check with reasons
- Document checklist for your country
- Signing key and package name check
- Proof-of-ownership build steps
- Help until the package shows as registered
Organization
$149 one-time
Up to 5 package names under one organization
- Everything in One app
- D-U-N-S and Search Console steps
- Shared-name or lost-key plan if needed
- Install notes for your users or staff
- Email help for 30 days
Agency
$390 one-time
Up to 20 package names across several client organizations
- Everything in Organization
- One plan per client account
- Pipeline registration setup notes
- Extra packages at $15 each
Compared with the alternatives
- Doing it yourself
- Free apart from Google's fee. Google's guides cover each step and Google says identity verification typically takes about 10 minutes if you have everything ready. The time goes into getting everything ready, which is what we do.
- Limited distribution
- Free, with no ID verification, for sharing an app with up to 20 specific devices. Fine for testing and personal use; not for a customer-facing app.
- Managed devices
- Google says apps distributed through your organization's store on managed devices do not need verification. Worth it if you already use device management for staff phones.
- Leaving it unregistered
- Users can still install through Android's advanced flow, with a one-day wait and a warning, or developers can use ADB. Workable for a few technical users, hard for staff or customers.
What changed
- Verification protections began for installs from participating stores in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand on certified devices running Android 7+. Source: developer.android.com
- Google says verification will be expanded globally for all apps on certified Android devices in 2027. Source: developer.android.com
- Google charges $25 for a Full Distribution account in the Android Developer Console and waives the fee for Limited Distribution accounts (up to 20 devices). Source: developer.android.com
- Organizations need a D-U-N-S number; Google warns getting one can take up to 28 days. A lost signing key means the package cannot be registered. Source: developer.android.com
From request to registered packages
Individuals usually finish within a few days. Organizations without a D-U-N-S number should start early, because Google warns it can take up to 28 days.
- Day 1: We confirm the package count and plan; after checkout, the path check for each app.
- Day 2: You send package names and certificate fingerprints; we check them.
- Day 3: You get the submission pack: documents, steps and proof-of-ownership build instructions.
- Day 3–5: You verify and register in Google's console with us on hand; we help test an install.
Security and data
- We never ask for, receive or store your private signing keys or keystore passwords.
- Identity documents go only to Google, through Google's console.
- We work from package names and public certificate fingerprints.
- Notes about your apps are deleted 30 days after we finish, or earlier on request.
Guides and answers
Android developer verification: dates, requirements and steps
Android developer verification started on 30 September 2026 in four countries and goes global in 2027. Who must verify, what it costs and the steps.
Read the guide →How to register a package name in the Android Developer Console
How to register an Android package name: SHA-256 key fingerprint, the signed proof-of-ownership APK, shared package names, several keys and lost keys.
Read the guide →Android advanced flow: how users install unverified apps
How Android's advanced flow lets users install apps from unverified developers: the one-day wait, the steps, ADB, updates, and what it means for your users.
Read the guide →Questions
When does Android developer verification start?
It started on 30 September 2026 for installs from participating stores in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Google says it will expand globally for all apps on certified Android devices in 2027 and recommends registering before then.
Does sideloading still work?
Yes. Registered apps install as before from any channel. Unregistered apps, once checks apply to them, can be installed through Android's advanced flow, which needs a one-time setup with a one-day wait, or over ADB.
My app is on Google Play. Do I need this?
Probably not for that app. Google says Play registers most apps automatically, and apps using Play App Signing are claimed automatically. You may still need to register builds you also distribute outside Play.
How much does Android developer verification cost?
Google charges $25 for a Full Distribution account in the Android Developer Console and waives the fee for Limited Distribution accounts. Our help is a separate one-time price from $49 per app.
Do you need my ID or signing key?
No. You upload your ID to Google and sign the proof APK on your own machine. We only see package names, certificate fingerprints and the checklist.
What if we lost the signing key?
Google says you then cannot register that package. We plan a move to a new package name, including what users have to reinstall and how to tell them.
Is this a Google service?
No. Android Verify Ready is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. We follow Google's published developer verification guides, and your accounts and keys stay under your control.
Register once, before the checks reach your users
A path check for every app, then keys, package names and documents prepared before you submit. From $49 for one app, once.
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