Google’s new Android developer verification system looks like it has already been refined, at least in one important area, after App Manager creator Muntashir Akon publicly ran into trouble registering some of his apps.
After initially running into hurdles, Akon says he was able to register both App Manager and Captive Portal Controller in the Android developer verification console. This happened after Google added an “other ways to verify” option, which may let developers work around the controversial 50% install-share rule. Google’s own Play Console help page now describes that fallback path, letting developers request use of a package name even when their key is not directly eligible, though Google says such requests can still be rejected.
That is a meaningful shift, because the original complaint was not some abstract policy gripe. Earlier this month, Akon said one or more impersonators had apparently already registered package names for apps he maintains, including App Manager, and he separately flagged a dead-end tied to F-Droid distribution and Google’s key-priority rules. His broader point was simple: if a third-party distribution model or signing setup gets more visibility in Google’s system than the developer’s own key, the real maintainer can end up looking like the outsider.
The interesting part is not the generic support reply Akon later shared. It is the speed of what follows. Within days, the affected apps were reportedly registered successfully, and the console now appears to expose another verification route for keys that do not satisfy the direct-registration rules. Google’s documentation says the default priority still goes to the key holding more than 50% of known installs, or to keys with at least 50 installs when no single key has a majority, but it now also documents a request-based path for everyone else. That sure looks like the sort of refinement developers were asking for, even if Google has not publicly tied the change to Akon’s case specifically.
Here’s what Google initially told Akon before eventually fixing the issue:
The backdrop here matters. Google only began rolling Android developer verification out to all developers at the end of March, and it said at the time that the experience had already been adjusted based on community feedback. The company also confirmed that Play developers would see more details over the following weeks, while enforcement for users starts in September 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand before expanding more broadly.
And this is exactly why developers have been nervous. F-Droid published an open letter opposing the new system in February, while recent developments highlight how the rules add friction for alternative stores and sideloaded utilities such as App Manager. Google is clearly still building the plane while flying it. The small bit of good news here is that public pressure seems to be getting noticed.
Hillary Keverenge
2708 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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