Google’s new rules could put an end to sideloading and alternative app stores on Android

For years one of Android’s strongest appeals has been that you could sideload apps from anywhere you liked, a freedom that separated it from iOS, which locks users into the App Store. Installing apps directly from websites or using alternative stores such as F-Droid gave Android users flexibility and a sense of ownership over their devices, but now that freedom is under threat. Google plans to introduce new developer registration rules that could make sideloading much harder and possibly wipe out independent app stores altogether.

F-Droid, which has operated for 15 years as an open-source alternative to the Play Store, has raised the alarm with a warning that the new system could end its project entirely. Under Google’s proposed rules, every app would need to be tied to a registered developer identity, and developers would be required to provide government identification along with their app identifiers and signing keys directly to Google. In practice, this would place Google at the center of Android app distribution, giving it authority not only over the Play Store but also over any app installed on Android devices.

In its blog post, F-Droid has stated bluntly that “the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open-source app distribution sources as we know them today.” Google claims that these measures will strengthen security and reduce the spread of malware, yet that argument is undermined by the fact that the Play Store itself has repeatedly hosted malicious apps despite its existing verification requirements. Android already provides a built-in safeguard in the form of Play Protect, which can scan and remove harmful apps, while F-Droid argues that an open-source approach is inherently more transparent because the community can inspect the code and identify issues.

By contrast, placing Google in sole control of app identities creates a central gatekeeper that determines which apps can be installed and by whom. The consequences of this shift would extend far beyond security. Developers, particularly hobbyists or small open-source contributors, may be unwilling to submit personal identification or comply with corporate-style verification, and that hesitation could result in fewer apps being made available outside the Play Store. Privacy-focused tools and community projects might disappear altogether, leaving users with far less choice than before. Even established developers could be at risk, since if Google decides to revoke a registration, an app could effectively be cut off from distribution regardless of its popularity or usefulness.

These concerns have already attracted attention from regulators, especially in Europe where the Digital Markets Act requires that users must be able to install apps from alternative sources without artificial barriers. If Google’s new system is seen as making sideloading practically impossible, it is likely to face scrutiny and possible legal challenges in the region. In the United States, Google is already dealing with ongoing antitrust cases related to app distribution, and the introduction of stricter developer identity checks will almost certainly be viewed as a way of consolidating control over the Android ecosystem.