Google recently decided that the freedom provided by Android was too much and announced Developer Verification, a system that will require developers outside the Google Play platform to register with Google. Users and developers did not accept Google’s logic and are complaining loudly. As Google begins early access testing, it has acknowledged that “experienced users” should have a way to escape.
According to Google, online scams and malware campaigns are becoming more aggressive, and real damage is being done despite the platform’s sideloading scare screens. Google says it’s common for fraudsters to use social engineering to create a false sense of urgency, leading users to bypass Android’s built-in protections to install malicious apps.
Google’s solution to this problem, as announced several months ago, is to force everyone who creates an app to verify their identity. Unverified apps will not be installed on any Google-certified devices once verification begins. Without it, the company claims malware creators could create endless new apps to deceive people. However, the centralized nature of verification threatened to introduce many headaches into a process that used to be straightforward for power users.
This is not the first time that Google has had to back out of its plans. Every time the company releases new information about verification, it compromises a little more. Previously, it was confirmed that a free verification option would be available for hobbyists and students who want to install the apps on a small number of devices. It also acknowledged that installation over ADB via a connected computer would still be allowed.
Now, Google has had to admit that its verification plans are causing a huge backlash among developers and people who know what an APK is. So there will be an option, but we don’t know yet how it will work.
How high is your risk tolerance?
Google’s latest verification update shows that the company has received a lot of feedback from users and developers who want to be able to sideload without worrying about verification status. For people with a “higher risk tolerance,” Google is exploring ways to do the same. This is a partial win for power users, but the nature of Google’s “advanced flow” for sideloading is questionable.