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5
Android developer verification: Early access starts now as we continue to build with your feedback (android-developers.googleblog.com)
 

We recently announced new developer verification requirements, which serve as an additional layer of defense in our ongoing effort to keep Android users safe. We know that security works best when it accounts for the diverse ways people use our tools. This is why we announced this change early: to gather input and ensure our solutions are balanced. We appreciate the community's engagement and have heard the early feedback – specifically from students and hobbyists who need an accessible path to learn, and from power users who are more comfortable with security risks. We are making changes to address the needs of both groups.

Supporting students and hobbyists

We heard from developers who were concerned about the barrier to entry when building apps intended only for a small group, like family or friends. We are using your input to shape a dedicated account type for students and hobbyists. This will allow you to distribute your creations to a limited number of devices without going through the full verification requirements.

Empowering experienced users

While security is crucial, we’ve also heard from developers and power users who have a higher risk tolerance and want the ability to download unverified apps. Based on this feedback and our ongoing conversations with the community, we are building a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified.

31
Google won’t have to sell Chrome or Android, but has to share Search data: antitrust ruling (9to5google.com)
 

A federal judge today announced what remedies Google faces after the company was found to have a monopoly in online search.

The district judge overseeing the case ruled today that Google does not have to sell the browser, or Android: “Plaintiffs overreached in seeking forced [divestiture] of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints.” The case was filed in 2020 and the illegal monopoly ruling was made in August of 2024.

However, Google is barred from exclusive Search contracts that prohibit other providers from also being installed on devices.

The big change today is that Google must share “certain search index and user-interaction data, though not ads data” with “Qualified Competitors.” The aim is to “enable those firms to deliver high-quality search results and ads to compete with Google while they develop their own search technologies and capacity.”

1
Google wants to make sideloading Android apps safer by verifying developers’ identities (www.androidauthority.com)
 
  • Google will soon verify the identities of developers who distribute Android apps outside the Play Store.
  • Developers must submit their information to a new Android Developer Console, increasing their accountability for their apps.
  • Rolling out in phases from September 2026, these new verification requirements are aimed at protecting users from malware by making it harder for malicious developers to remain anonymous.
44
Google confirms it's 'combining' Chrome OS and Android into a single platform (www.androidauthority.com)
 
  • A Google executive has reportedly confirmed that the company will combine Chrome OS and Android into a single platform.
  • This news comes after we reported in November that Chrome OS will be merged into Android.
  • This also follows Android 16’s release, which brings several desktop-themed features to the platform.
3
Announcing the Android Workgroup (forums.swift.org)
 

The main goal of the Android workgroup is to add and maintain Android as an officially supported platform for the Swift language.

The Android workgroup will:

  • Improve and maintain Android support for the official Swift distribution, eliminating the need for out-of-tree or downstream patches
  • Recommend enhancements to core Swift packages such as Foundation and Dispatch to work better with Android idioms
  • Work with the Platform Steering Group to officially define platform support levels generally, and then work towards achieving official support of a particular level for Android
  • Determine the range of supported Android API levels and architectures for Swift integration
  • Develop continuous integration for the Swift project that includes Android testing in pull request checks.
  • Identify and recommend best practices for bridging between Swift and Android’s Java SDK and packaging Swift libraries with Android apps
  • Develop support for debugging Swift applications on Android
  • Advise and assist with adding support for Android to various community Swift packages