App developers who want to publish their Android apps on the Play Store can now verify their identities with Google.
In a few months, only verified developers will be welcome in the tech giant’s app store.
The company already announced last year that it would start mandatory registration for app developers. According to Google, this is a security measure. The registration is intended to prevent developers from placing malicious apps in the App Store that, for example, install malware on users’ devices.
Google has indicated that it will start blocking unverified apps from the Play Store in a few countries starting in September. Anyone who still wants unverified apps will have to follow a new, more complicated installation process, which requires, for example, enabling developer options.
For developers who register, nothing changes in principle compared to the current system. Developers who do not publish apps in the Play Store themselves can also get verified now. Their apps will then be installed via a similar, simpler system, even if they come from an alternative app store.
