Android verification is coming: Google confirms timeline and supported app stores

Android 验证机制即将到来：谷歌确认时间表及支持的应用商店

Almost 20 years ago, Google pitched Android as the more open alternative to Apple’s walled garden. Last year, Google announced it would begin erecting its own walls through developer verification. The company has issued an update on its plans, affirming that the verification system will begin rolling out in select countries later this year. We’re also learning which app stores are participating in verification and the timeline for key features like the recently revealed “advanced flow” for bypassing verification.

大约 20 年前，谷歌将 Android 推崇为苹果“围墙花园”之外更开放的替代方案。去年，谷歌宣布将通过开发者验证机制开始建立自己的“围墙”。该公司近日发布了计划更新，确认验证系统将于今年晚些时候在部分国家开始推行。我们还了解到哪些应用商店将参与验证，以及近期披露的用于绕过验证的“高级流程”（advanced flow）等关键功能的时间表。

Google has claimed that developer verification is a necessary change to smartphone software distribution, pointing to the increased prevalence of scams that trick Android users into installing malware apps. Google’s solution requires verifying the identities of developers outside the Play Store just like it does for devs publishing on its platform. This has proven to be a contentious change for myriad reasons.

谷歌声称，开发者验证是智能手机软件分发领域必要的变革，并指出诱骗 Android 用户安装恶意软件的诈骗行为日益猖獗。谷歌的解决方案要求对 Play 商店之外的开发者进行身份验证，就像其对在自家平台上发布应用的开发者所做的那样。由于种种原因，这一举措引发了广泛争议。

In the new blog post, Google’s Matthew Forsythe confirms that the developer verification system is slated to come online on September 30 of this year. The initial deployment will be limited to countries with a high level of app scams: Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Google released its new developer console back in March, inviting external developers the opportunity to pay $25 and verify their identities early. Developers who don’t register will find that their apps cannot be sideloaded on Google-certified Android devices once verification has rolled out.

在最新的博客文章中，谷歌的 Matthew Forsythe 确认开发者验证系统定于今年 9 月 30 日上线。初期部署将仅限于应用诈骗高发的国家：巴西、印度尼西亚、新加坡和泰国。谷歌早在 3 月份就发布了新的开发者控制台，邀请外部开发者支付 25 美元提前验证身份。一旦验证机制全面推行，未注册的开发者将发现其应用无法在通过谷歌认证的 Android 设备上进行侧载（sideload）。

Google says that almost every app in the Play Store is now ready for the change, and a “large majority” of apps outside Google Play have completed verification. This system places more burden on developers who want to make software for Android, even if they don’t want to deal with Google directly. There are a few updates that aim to streamline the experience. Google is following through on its promise to extend verification to trusted third-party stores—if a developer is verified in one of these storefronts, they are verified on Google’s side.

谷歌表示，Play 商店中几乎所有的应用都已为这一变化做好准备，而 Google Play 之外的“绝大多数”应用也已完成验证。对于那些想要为 Android 开发软件但不想直接与谷歌打交道的开发者来说，该系统增加了负担。为了简化体验，谷歌推出了一些更新。谷歌正在兑现其承诺，将验证范围扩展至受信任的第三方商店——如果开发者在这些商店中通过了验证，谷歌方面也会予以认可。

Google says it will verify the apps in the following stores when it begins enforcing the new restrictions: Google (Google Play) Honor (HONOR App Market) OPlus (OPPO App Market) Samsung (Galaxy Store) Transsion (Palm Store) vivo (V-Appstore) Xiaomi (GetApps)

谷歌表示，在开始执行新限制时，将对以下商店中的应用进行验证： 谷歌 (Google Play) 荣耀 (HONOR App Market) OPPO (OPPO App Market) 三星 (Galaxy Store) 传音 (Palm Store) vivo (V-Appstore) 小米 (GetApps)

Developers will also have access to new APIs to make registering as an external developer less arduous. In the coming months, Google will release an Android Developer ID Status API that will check if a package name is already registered with Google. The Android Developer Console API will let you register and manage your app package names without leaving your development environment, too.

开发者还将获得新的 API，以减轻注册成为外部开发者的繁琐程度。在接下来的几个月里，谷歌将发布 Android 开发者 ID 状态 API，用于检查包名是否已在谷歌注册。Android 开发者控制台 API 也将允许开发者在不离开开发环境的情况下注册和管理应用包名。

The countdown begins

倒计时开始

The next step toward verifying apps will come this month as Google deploys a new system service on most certified devices. The package (com.google.android.verifier) will appear on phones and tablets running Android 8 or higher, allowing Google to block the installation of unverified apps. It will remain dormant until verification is activated in your specific region.

应用验证的下一步将于本月实施，届时谷歌将在大多数认证设备上部署一项新的系统服务。该软件包 (com.google.android.verifier) 将出现在运行 Android 8 或更高版本的手机和平板电脑上，使谷歌能够阻止未验证应用的安装。在您所在的地区激活验证功能之前，该服务将保持休眠状态。

In July, Google plans to roll out the new developer APIs and begin testing for “limited distribution” accounts. This is Google’s solution for hobbyists who want to make their own apps and share them with a small group. Limited accounts won’t require a fee or government ID verification, but you can install these apps on up to 20 devices.

7 月份，谷歌计划推出新的开发者 API，并开始测试“有限分发”账户。这是谷歌为那些想要制作自己的应用并与小范围人群分享的爱好者提供的解决方案。有限账户无需支付费用或进行政府 ID 验证，但这些应用最多只能安装在 20 台设备上。

In August, the advanced flow will become available globally ahead of verification becoming mandatory in the first批 markets. As detailed a few months ago, the advanced flow will allow users to bypass verification, but the process isn’t easy. You’ll have to navigate to a buried menu, confirm you understand the risks multiple times, and wait a whole day before completing the process.

8 月份，“高级流程”将在首批市场强制执行验证之前在全球范围内可用。正如几个月前详细介绍的那样，高级流程将允许用户绕过验证，但过程并不简单。用户必须进入一个隐藏菜单，多次确认了解风险，并等待整整一天才能完成该过程。

And that brings us to September, when Android devices in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand will begin checking verification status before installing apps. However, things get murky after that. Google will undoubtedly monitor how verification works as millions of users are suddenly limited to verified apps, which could affect how it moves forward. Google says it intends to expand developer verification in 2027, eventually making it a global device policy.

时间来到 9 月，巴西、印度尼西亚、新加坡和泰国的 Android 设备将在安装应用前检查验证状态。然而，此后的情况尚不明朗。随着数百万用户突然被限制只能使用已验证的应用，谷歌无疑会监控验证机制的运行情况，这可能会影响其后续的推进方式。谷歌表示，计划在 2027 年扩大开发者验证范围，最终将其作为全球设备政策。