Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.
In August 2025, Google announced that as of September 2026, it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google.
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You, the consumer, purchased your Android device believing in Google’s promise that it was an open computing platform and that you could run whatever software you choose on it. Instead, as of September 2026, they will be non-consensually pushing an update to your operating system that irrevocably blocks this right and leaves you at the mercy of their judgement over what software you are permitted to trust.
if you hate google and want to keep android as free and as customizable as possible please voice your opinion directly to google using their android developer verification requirements survey. send something once a day if you feel inclined too. (i know i will)
sign this petition if you can too.
i know it seems useless but some pushback is better than none and i really don't want google to overtake the whole fucking internet. tech companies are contuining to warp the internet and shoving censorship down our throats to control what we can see and what we can post. i believe the internet is meant to be used a valuable resource and creative outlet and a way to connect globally while maintaining privacy. fuck google.
Google is going to restrict what mobile apps you are allowed to install on your Android devices starting September 2026.
Date of this post: March 12, 2026. Announcement was August 2025, and still stands.
Only verified apps from developers that provide all their personal details and government ID will be allowed, even from outside the Play Store.
They say this is for our safety, but this is taking away our digital rights. It's about control.
Sources, elaboration, and solutions under the cut.
Get started building your Android apps.
"Starting in September 2026, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed on certified Android devices.
You will need to provide and verify your personal details, like your legal name, address, email address, and phone number.
If you're registering as an organization, you'll also need to provide a D-U-N-S number and verify your organization's website.
You may also need to upload official government ID.
You'll need to prove you own your apps by providing your app package name and app signing keys."
Why is this bad?
Quoting keepandroidopen.org:
"You, the consumer, purchased your Android device believing in Google’s promise that it was an open computing platform and that you could run whatever software you choose on it. Instead, as of September 2026, they will be non-consensually pushing an update to your operating system that irrevocably blocks this right and leaves you at the mercy of their judgement over what software you are permitted to trust.
You, the creator, can no longer develop an app and share it directly with your friends, family, and community without first seeking Google’s approval. The promise of Android — and a marketing advantage it has used to distinguish itself against the iPhone — has always been that it is “open”. But Google clearly feels that they have enough of a lock on the Android ecosystem, along with sufficient regulatory capture, that they can now jettison this principle with prejudice and impunity.
You, the state, are ceding the rights of your citizens and your own digital sovereignty to a company with a track record of complying with the extrajudicial demands of authoritarian regimes to remove perfectly legal apps that they happen to dislike. The software that is critical to the running of your businesses and governments will be at the mercy of the opaque whims of a distant and unaccountable corporation."
Quoting woheller69 on github:
"Requiring developers to submit personal identity details to Google in order for their apps to run on certified Android devices represents a serious attack on fundamental digital rights:
Developer privacy – Individual developers and small teams should not be forced to hand over government IDs or sensitive documents to a multinational corporation. Many developers value their privacy for legitimate personal, political, or security reasons.
The right to use my own device – As a user, I should be free to run the software of my choice on my phone. Blocking applications that do not meet Google’s new requirements is a restriction on device ownership and digital freedom.
Free and open-source software ecosystems – Many FOSS projects are developed by volunteers who will not (and often cannot) provide identity documents. This policy risks removing an enormous amount of valuable free software from certified Android devices.
Developer safety – In some countries, linking real-world identities to developers of privacy tools, political apps, or security software can put them in danger. This requirement could actively harm people.
Adaptation and forking of open-source programs – One of the most important freedoms of open-source software is the ability to fork and adapt programs to personal or local needs. Today, I can simply fork an app, add a translation, build it, and install it on my device. Under the new rules, any fork would require a new package ID — which in turn would force the developer to register with Google and provide personal identity details. This creates a bureaucratic and privacy-invasive barrier to the most basic use of open-source: improving, localizing, and customizing software."
Bypass Options:
Contribute to woheller69/FreeDroidWarn development by creating an account on GitHub.
"Use a free, uncensored Android system like /e/os, LineageOS, or GrapheneOS that does not preinstall Google Play Services.
"Degoogle" by removing Google Play Services. Depending on the manufacturer of your phone this may require rooting your device.
Install apps via ADB. Google has already confirmed that ADB will continue to work in the future. You can either use ADB from a PC as described below or use a wireless ADB based installer like anyapk."
Please Complain! Details are listed here for many countries:
Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.
# newpipe will not work on official android devices after September because of the developer verification program
As you have no doubt noticed, we have a banner with an ominous countdown now prominent on our website: Google will lock-down Android, and we
Newpipe has released a blog post talking about the new android developer verification program
Direct from the blog
“This is not a fun blog post to write, believe me. Androids future is dear to our heart, and we believe that one of its main aspects was its openness, clearly separating it from Apple’s iOS as the better choice for every tinkerer and developer.
For the past few years Google has continuously taken steps to remove this openness, and now it hit us. Google plans to force developers to become registered developers and submit their personal data during the registration process. By doing so, Google does no only collect data, but more importantly can decide who is allowed to create and publish apps for “registered” devices or not.”
More
“We will not enroll in this privacy violating program and give up the anonymity of our developers. We do not want to be at the mercy of Google to allow our app to work. And you should not be content with this restriction either. Follow the steps outlined at keepandroidopen.com and resist this further lock-down of your device.”
“Coinciding with this blog posts, we released a new update to NewPipe, where we introduced a pop up also notifying users there that they will need to take steps in order to keep using NewPipe.”
Newpipe will be unavailable on certified android devices when September arrives
Go to this website to learn how to fight against the android developer verification program
Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.
I heard about this last year! Android is truly becoming Enshitificated! Google truly sucks ass!
Link: https://keepandroidopen.org/
Direct quote:
"In August 2025, Google announced that as of September 2026, it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google."
What does this mean for android users 👇
For consumers: People who bought Android devices expecting freedom to install any software, but the update would block that and let Google decide which apps are allowed.
For developers: Creators would no longer be able to share apps directly with others without Google’s approval, undermining Android’s long-standing “open platform” promise.
For governments/states: Countries risk losing digital sovereignty, because critical software decisions could depend on a private corporation that may comply with political pressures from governments around the world.
(Thank you, Anon, for your this info :) 👍❤️! In the first link, it lists towards the bottom, who you can contact about this issue to fight against it! PLEASE FIGHT THIS!)
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