this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2026

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423

Just got 'Android Developer Verifier' Silently Installed on my Phone (Aug 25, 2026) (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by onionsinmypores@sh.itjust.works to c/android@lemmy.world

104 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The app ID is com.google.android.verifier, which I assume will be used for the upcoming developer verification program for installing 3rd party apps.

Starting September 30, developers (signing authors) need to be verified from Google to distribute apps in the following app stores:

Google Play Store
Honor App Market
OPPO App Market
Samsung Galaxy Store
Transsion Palm Store
vivo V-Appstore and
Xiaomi GetApps

only in the countries of Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

F-Droid is not included for this time.

It is planned to be rolled out globally across all markets/app stores by January of 2027.

Relevant sources:
https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides
https://keepandroidopen.org/

I used App Manager (io.github.muntashirakon.AppManager) for the screenshot; you can use your regular 'Installed Apps'/'Apps' menu to see if it's been rolled out automatically for you as well.

edit: First link was originally a typo, my bad. Fixed it.

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[–] onionsinmypores@sh.itjust.works 83 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Update: Interestingly, since it is still classed as a User app, I can uninstall it myself without any special perms. The installation source is shown as Google Play Store, and you can manually find the app on the store.

Here's a screenshot of that - though it has no ratings, reviews, options to review etc. that you would expect from ordinary or even other Google produced apps.

[–] zout@fedia.io 25 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I can find it there, but only uninstall updates. Guess it's ADB time.

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[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 69 points 4 days ago (4 children)

F-Droid is not included for this time.

How-To:

Open Developer Options and select Apps from unverified developers.
Turn on Allow apps from unverified developers.
Authenticate using your screen lock.
Confirm that nobody is pressuring you to change the setting.
Restart your phone and wait 24 hours.
Return to the setting and choose whether to allow apps from unverified developers for seven days or indefinitely.

Source:
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-advanced-flow-sideloading-rollout-begins-3700073/
https://www.pocket-lint.com/android-new-sideloading-option/

[–] zout@fedia.io 67 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That's some pretty big hurdles to be honest, just a reminder of how sketchy Google is these days.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 4 days ago (20 children)

Less issue for me than Apple lol.

You can always (for now) go to LineageOS or GrapheneOS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] Zedstrian@sopuli.xyz 39 points 4 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Every shift away from open Android that users accept emboldens Google to lock it down further.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Switching from Android to Apple is really smart lol.
Why would you even switch from a pretty much open system to a fully closed one (even with the things the EU forces Apple to do)?
(This questions excludes Linux OSs on smartphones)

[–] Zedstrian@sopuli.xyz 14 points 4 days ago

Apple is of course still far worse, but users shouldn't be accepting Google's changes to Android without complaint.

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[–] dRLY@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 days ago

After going through both my Galaxy 24U and Pixel Tablet initially, I wasn't seeing the option (was looking for the old "Install from unknown sources" which is in a different location (and per app toggles). I went back and manually disabled and enabled the "Android Developer Verifier" app and then saw the option for "Apps from unverified developers" show up. Then was able to follow the steps (very glad you provided that second source which is what led me to what I did).

So I guess if you don't see it. First search in your apps that the verifier app is present. If it is, then go into the app info for it and toggle disable and then enable. Willing to accept that maybe I was just blind to it due to the old way of sideloading that made me miss it in Developer Options. But for sure saw it after the toggles. Now I just need to remember to go back tomorrow to set the "indefinitely" option. Curious if this will allow Play Protect to not try to yeet apps if PP is turned back on. I had to turn it off a couple months ago because it kept flagging SyncThing-Fork installed from F-Droid trying to trick me into uninstalling it (which was weird that was the only app it freaked out about out of all the third-party store and Obtainium apps).

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[–] yxc999@lemmy.ml 20 points 3 days ago

GrapheneOS, my beloved

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

My kids' phones (Pinwheel-managed Moto G Play models) attempted to install this in the background as well. I only found out about it because I got an app request from the devices; the kids had zero knowledge of it.

I blocked the installation.

[–] bampop@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (8 children)

Hold up, what magic is this? You can gatekeep installations of any app on their phones? I've looked into doing this with Google Play but as far as I can tell they only enable it for mature content. Which doesn't help to stop my old father in law from installing trash "security" apps on his phone.

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[–] RedGreenBlue@lemmy.zip 37 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Next phone will be a serious attempt at a linux phone.

[–] Turret3857@infosec.pub 21 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

At this time it is currently better to go with a custom Android ROM. Linux phones are currently have almost 0 security. I say almost 0 because postmarketos does support LUKS encryption, but only on some devices, and pmos uses an "upstream kernel" update model for devices, so a lot of the drivers for supported phones are not fully complete.

None of them have sandboxing, or measured boot, and excluding postmarketos, none of them get driver level security updates either.

[–] nieceandtows@programming.dev 37 points 4 days ago (5 children)

On my pixel 10, I see this app is installed with only the option to disable, not uninstall.

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

Same

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[–] Anti_Iridium@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago (4 children)

When it rolled out, it removed my root as well. I guess I may be jumping ship to lineageos soon. I like root features too much.

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[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

Pichai, you fucking banchode.

[–] SalmonTractor@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 2 days ago

The amount of high-ranking spam reviews for that program is astounding.

It looks like Google hijacked their own project "Google Package Verifier" that has been dormant in the Play Store since 2012, and hadn't been touched in 13 years until 2025.

Google is no better than the spammers this process purports to protect against.

The original:

https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-package-verifier/variant-%7B%22arches_slug%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22minapi_slug%22%3A%22minapi-14%22%7D/

[–] lemmysmash@piefed.social 18 points 4 days ago

Block it, them spam your manufacturer with support requests. Make it their problem.

[–] REDACTED@infosec.pub 15 points 4 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Weird, I could uninstall it (and the key verifier one too), and so I did. Yeah, this is definitely not going to come back to bite me in the ass

EDIT: OnePlus Open, I haven't unlocked bootloader or rooted it.

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Been using my pixel 6, according to the app list it has been "used since Aug 13" I cannot archive(greyed out), disable says (get this) "It came preinstalled on my device" funny since I've been using this device for years and by its own account was just installed aug 13

[–] Turret3857@infosec.pub 7 points 3 days ago (6 children)

You can probably get rid of it by installing GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, iodéOS, or LineageOS, unless youre in the US and bought the phone from Verizon

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[–] atro_city@fedia.io 19 points 4 days ago (4 children)

No idea where you are nor which phone you have, but maybe it's time to install an Android alternative OS (not sure what to call it) like GrapheneOS, LineageOS, or eOS. From what I understand they don't allow this kind of shit.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 33 points 4 days ago (7 children)

Easier said than done, especially as there are more models that don't have any sort of support for those OSs than models that do. Not to mention the hassle to even enable the option to flash it and risk of bricking. Worse, banking apps may refuse to work.

Google and the OEMs never wanted you to own your phone and they are mostly winning on that front.

[–] FunnySalt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Easier said than done, especially as there are more models that don't have any sort of support for those OSs than models that do.

This is a big hurdle. I had to buy a different phone to install a custom ROM. I bought it used, but even so still fairly expensive. And an extra cost can be a limiting factor too.

Not to mention the hassle to even enable the option to flash it and risk of bricking

GrapheneOS has a webUSB installer that is very easy to use. I would argue it eliminates the hassle. Bricking is still a risk.

Worse, banking apps may refuse to work.

I don't use banking apps on my phone. I don't like having anything installed that has access to money. I just access my financial institutions via their website. But I acknowledge they may fill some need others have that I do not. And that not everyone has access to a computer to access websites , and I can see banks trying to force app use when accessing from a mobile browser.

[–] technobyte@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Bricking your phone trying to install GrapheneOS is very difficult even if you try, see: https://youtu.be/ik0AiO0WtuU

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[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 8 points 3 days ago

had it on my tablet uninstalled that shit so fast

[–] ReluctantZen@feddit.nl 4 points 3 days ago

Thanks for sharing. It was installed for me as well on the 14th apparently, even though my phone's not getting updates anymore. I was hoping I wouldn't get it because of that, but I guess it's purely a play services thing.

[–] vogi@piefed.social 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What happens if you try to install an unverified apk now? Like is there a message or something? Does it go away after just uninstalling the developer verifier?

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This app also got silently installed on my device, but I just updated YouTube Morphe and there was no issue. So for now the app doesn't appear to do anything. I disabled it and will be uninstalling with ADB soon.

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