Google is KILLING Side Loading Apps!

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Published on September 5, 2025 10:00:37 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2dLrJnb2Q4

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This change might kill emulation on Android phones next year, and they're not kidding on that one.
What happens is in 2026, Google will require ID verification for developers based in Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, and the country of yours truly, Indonesia, if they want to distribute their apps inside and even outside of the Play Store. Unfortunately, this policy will apply universally in 2027, which will require all developers to submit their ID where Android is certified.
Does this apply to all the emulators on the store? Thankfully, no. Some emulators are verified on the Play Store and can be downloaded just fine in all your devices, even if they are outdated versions of those. However, some emulators are not verified on the Play Store. They can only be acquired outside of the Play Store, and they avoid verification to avoid legal risks as emulation is still on the legal grey area.
There is a silver lining to this whole thing, in that this is mostly going to affect Android phones and Google Play Protect certified devices. Android gaming handhelds are generally not going to be affected. Still, this is a major blow to anyone that loves to play classic emulated titles on their Android phones.
Personally, I mostly only play Microsoft Solitaire on my phones. That or just an occasional game of Balatro. If I want to play retro games on the go, my jailbroken 3DS can do that just fine. If I want to play something that the 3DS cannot handle, I really don't mind sitting in front of the computer playing those games, but it does suck that a lot of Android users are not going to be able to emulate certain consoles in their platforms thanks to this policy.