Android distribution
Android developer verification
Since September 30, 2026, certified Android devices in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand install an app from Google Play, Samsung Galaxy Store, Xiaomi GetApps, OPPO App Market, vivo V-Appstore, HONOR App Market and Transsion Palm Store only if its package name is registered to a verified developer. Google says APKs people install directly are not affected yet: “if users sideload your app directly, these new verification requirements won't apply to your app yet.” Its global rollout, whatever the download source, begins in 2027.
Reviewed October 2, 2026 against Google's overview, package registration help, developer guide and FAQ. Google's pages are the authority.
Who needs to act
If you publish on Google Play, or another participating store, and people in those four countries install from it, register the app now: follow the registration steps in your Play Console. Code2Native does not register apps on your behalf.
If you send people an APK directly (a Direct build), Google says nothing changes for them yet. Register before the 2027 rollout, with a key you own (see below). After that, an unregistered app installs only with ADB or through Android's advanced install flow, a one-time setup with a one-day wait that shows risk warnings. A limited-distribution account lets you install on up to 20 devices without a government ID.
What registration asks for
You verify your identity in the Android Developer Console and register each package name (your Application ID) with the public certificate of the key that signs it. To prove you hold that key, Google gives you a snippet. You put it in a file named adi-registration.properties in the app's assets folder, then upload a release APK signed with the same key.
For a source build, put the file in your project at android/app/src/main/assets/adi-registration.properties and rebuild; the APK is signed with your project's key. Website and Shopify builds can't add the file yet. If you need to register one before we add it, email [email protected] with your project ID.
Which key signs your app
Source builds
Flutter and native Android projects are signed with a key created for your project alone, or with the keystore you uploaded. You can register that certificate.
Website and Shopify apps with your keystore
If you uploaded a keystore when you created a Store app, your builds use it. You can register that certificate.
Website and Shopify apps without a keystore
These builds are signed with a Code2Native platform key that many apps share. Google binds registration to the signing certificate, and you cannot prove ownership of a shared key. Today you can only add your own keystore when you create a Store app; for an existing app or a Direct app, email support before you register.
Changing the signing key has a cost. Android won't update an installed APK that was signed with a different key, so people must uninstall and reinstall once. For Google Play apps, the signing key is managed through Play App Signing; see the Android build guide before you switch.