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Android developer verification: Building a safer ecosystem together

Posted by Matthew Forsythe, Director Product Management, Android App Safety


Last year, we introduced Android developer verification to strengthen ecosystem security and stop malicious actors from hiding behind anonymity to release harmful apps. Millions of apps have been registered since the verification launched in March, covering nearly all installs on Google Play and a large majority of installs from outside of Google Play. We appreciate the feedback and partnership from industry leaders, developers, and Android communities that helped us design this experience and drive strong adoption.

Initial launch across seven stores and four countries

These new developer verification protections will take effect on September 30, 2026, starting with users in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.

This rollout is an industry-wide effort to create a safer ecosystem. We will begin by verifying app installations from the following stores:

  • Google (Google Play)
  • Honor (HONOR App Market)
  • OPlus (OPPO App Market)
  • Samsung (Galaxy Store)
  • Transsion (Palm Store)
  • vivo (V-Appstore)
  • Xiaomi (GetApps)

Following this initial phase with our partners, we will expand these protections globally for all apps on certified Android devices in 2027.

Automate your workflow with new APIs

To further streamline app registration, we are launching a suite of developer-requested APIs to help you register apps in bulk or directly through your continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. The Android Developer ID Status API will let you check if a package name has already been registered, and the Android Developer Console API will let you register and manage package names directly within your development environment. Both APIs also support OAuth delegation, allowing third-party platforms, like Android app stores, to perform these operations natively on your behalf.

We'll launch these APIs over the next few months.

What’s next

  • June 2026: Starting this month, we are rolling out a new system service that will be automatically installed on most Android devices. This service will be used later this year to verify developer registration.
  • July 2026: We’ll launch the Android Developer ID Status API globally and begin early access for the Android Developer Console API. Early access also starts for limited distribution accounts on Android Developer Console. This new type of Android developer account is designed for students, hobbyists, and learners and lets you share your apps to up to 20 devices without a government-issued ID or a fee.
  • August 2026: Limited distribution accounts and the new Android Developer Console API will launch globally. We’ll also launch an advanced flow for installing apps from unverified developers, which includes security checkpoints to resist coercion scams, while allowing power users to maintain the ability to sideload apps from unverified developers.
  • September 30, 2026: App registration becomes required for participating stores in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Unregistered apps can be sideloaded with Android Debug Bridge (adb) or advanced flow.
  • 2027 and beyond: After incorporating the feedback from our partners, users, and developer community, we’ll expand the Android verification requirement globally.

Get started with Android developer verification

If you distribute apps in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, or Thailand via the stores listed above, please ensure your verification is complete by the September deadline.

  • Google Play developers: Most Play developers are already verified, and over 99% of their apps have been registered. Go to your Play Console Home page to see your app’s verification status, and register apps you want to continue distributing that weren't automatically registered.
  • Developers who distribute only outside of Google Play: Sign up for the Android Developer Console today to register your apps.

    • Students and hobbyists: Sign up here for early access to limited distribution accounts to help us refine the feature with your feedback.

Thank you for helping us build a safer Android ecosystem. Stay tuned for more updates as we approach September and the 2027 global rollout.

A2UI + MCP Apps: Combining the best of declarative and custom agentic UIs

This post introduces three architectural patterns designed to integrate Model Context Protocol (MCP) Apps and Agent-to-User Interface (A2UI) to solve the tradeoff between highly custom iframe environments and native, declarative rendering. By combining these approaches, developers can serve native-feeling UIs directly over MCP servers, embed complex and stateful iframe apps securely inside declarative views, or inject generative UI components into legacy systems. Ultimately, these hybrid frameworks empower engineering teams to deliver secure, performant, and brand-consistent agentic user experiences tailored to their specific project constraints.

Make Gemini more helpful and relevant to your teaching goals with the Google Classroom app in Gemini

Educators have shared that AI is especially helpful when it understands the context of their teaching environment, from tailoring resources toward student needs or building on their existing materials. To support this, Gemini will be able to collaborate with your Google Classroom, using context from your classes to inform its outputs or help complete tasks. For example, educators can get insights on student progress and understanding, create resources and differentiated materials based on Classroom context, or get help drafting posts and assignments.

Students 18 and older can similarly use the Classroom app to stay organized across classes – from getting a list of upcoming assignments, creating study plans, doing test practice based on Classroom content, and staying up-to-date on the latest announcements. Based on your prompts, Gemini will identify when context from Google Classroom will be relevant, and use it to inform its outputs. You can also explicitly tell Gemini to use information from your Google Classroom account by typing, “@Classroom” and clicking on the Classroom app when it pops up.



For example, educators can ask Gemini to:

  • Draft communications: Draft communications and posts based on your Google Classroom information.
  • Draft differentiated assignments and plans: Help draft and update assignments, and generate timelines and structured plans, based on information and content from your Google Classroom.
  • Understand student progress and take action: Summarize who has submitted assignments, how students have done on prior assignments, and identify where students might need additional teacher support.
  • Streamline administrative tasks: Update assignment titles, descriptions, and more across multiple classes in draft mode, make seating charts, and find old assignments.

Important notes

Gemini Apps can’t perform certain actions in the Google Classroom app, like:

  • Enter grades or provide private feedback directly
  • Delete, archive, or directly post assignments or announcements (it can post to draft)
  • Create rubrics
This feature will be available in English for users designated as over the age of 18 who are using a Google Workspace for Education or Business account in Classroom and Gemini. The Classroom app in Gemini does not currently support data regionalization and your usage data may be stored outside of your designated data region. Data region support for the Classroom app in Gemini is expected later this year.

Getting started

  • Admins: Access to the Classroom app in Gemini will be ON by default for all Education domains and can be disabled at the OU or group level. For all other domains, access will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the OU or group level. Access can be turned on or off with a new Classroom app setting in the Gemini section of the Admin console. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Google apps in Gemini on or off for your organization.

Admin console settings to control Classroom in Gemini app


  • End users: Your admin configuration will determine if you can use the Classroom app in Gemini. Access to the Classroom app in Gemini will be ON by default and can be disabled at the end user level in the connected apps section of the Gemini app settings. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using apps connected to Gemini.

End user settings to enable Classroom in Gemini app

Rollout pace

Availability

Resources

Chrome for Android Update

 Hello Everyone! We've just released Chrome 150 (150.0.7871.28) for Android to a small percentage of users. It'll become available on Google Play over the next few days. You can find more details about early Stable releases here.

This release includes stability and performance improvements. You can see a full list of the changes in the Git log. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.

Harry Souders
Google Chrome

Stable Channel Update for ChromeOS / ChromeOS Flex

The ChromeOS Stable channel is being updated to OS version 16667.47.0 (Browser version 149.0.7827.153) for most ChromeOS devices.

If you find new issues, please let us know one of the following ways:
  1. File a bug

  2. Visit our ChromeOS communities

    1. General: Chromebook Help Community

    2. Beta Specific: ChromeOS Beta Help Community

  3. Report an issue or send feedback on Chrome

  4. Interested in switching channels? Find out how.

Luis Menezes

Google ChromeOS