Cric-shock – Google Comes for illegal Streaming Apps Like Cricfy, Depended on by Millions of Kenyans for Football

Google has confirmed a big change to how Android handles apps that don’t come from the Play Store. From 2026, only apps built by verified developers will be installable on certified Android phones, even if you try to sideload the APK or use a third-party store.

Sidebar: Google/Android TV too:- Anything with Google Play Services

The rollout starts in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026, then expands globally from 2027. In plain English, if a developer won’t verify their identity with Google, their app won’t install on most modern Android phones.

“Think of it like an ID check at the airport, which confirms a traveler’s identity,” Google says.

The company isn’t promising to review every app’s content, it’s just locking installation to developers who have proved they’re real people or real companies.

For Kenya, this is more than a tech policy tweak. A huge chunk of football and movie streaming here lives outside the Play Store or other legitimate streaming apps like Netflix.

Illegal apps like Cricfy are popular because they’re free, light on data, and work on cheap Android phones and smart boxes. If those developers skip verification, many of those APKs will simply refuse to install on certified Android devices.

That matters because legal sports is pricey. DStv’s latest Kenya prices put Premium at KSh 11,700 a month, Compact Plus at KSh 7,300, and Compact at KSh 4,200. DStv still owns the English Premier League pipeline via SuperSport, so if you want the most complete, big-screen experience, you pay.

Showmax has softened the blow with mobile Premier League packages from around KSh 450–500 a month, but that’s on phone or tablet, and data costs still apply, on top of other limitations like the perception of they only showing games from lower leagues at lower prices.

Here’s the pocket reality.

So why have illegal streams been the saving grace?

Because most Kenyans want one thing, watch their team this weekend without breaking the bank.

Free APKs solved three pain points at once, no decoder, no contracts, and no KSh 10k-plus bills. Toss in rising living costs, and it’s obvious why “free football” spread like gospel.

Google’s move closes one of the main doors those apps use. Android has always allowed sideloading with a few taps in Settings.

Now, on certified devices, installation will be blocked unless the developer has verified with Google. It’s self-explanatory why all operators behind illegal sports and movie apps keep their identities hidden. In most jurisdictions, this is an illegal act that attracts jail time and huge fines.

If they refuse to verify (as expected), their apps won’t load on most Kenyan phones going forward.

A quick tech explainer:

Certified Android devices are phones and tablets that ship with Google apps like Play Store, YouTube, and Maps, and pass Google’s compatibility tests. That’s the vast majority of devices sold locally from brands like Samsung, Tecno, Infinix, Xiaomi, Nokia, and Oppo.

These devices run Play Protect, which already scans apps for malware even when you sideload. The new rule adds an identity layer on top, no verified developer, no install.

Will everything change overnight in Kenya?

No. The strict block lands first in four countries next year, then goes global later.

But the direction is clear, the free-APK loophole is narrowing. Expect more blocks on shady streaming apps, more takedowns during big matches, and more warnings around IPTVs, Streamio and more.

KECOBO has also been stepping up raids and enforcement on unauthorized screenings and illegal distributorship of audio-visual content.

What does a realistic future look like for fans here?

1. Legal streaming grows, with fewer ‘non-techy’ options, legal streamers like Showmax will benefit.
2. Pay-TV holds the premium niche, especially for big-screen family viewing and multi-sport weekends.
3. The grey market gets squeezed,:- As everyone replaces their old device, newer phones come with later updates, natively keeping out illegal streams. A slow death awaits.

Google insists this isn’t Android becoming iPhone. They say sideloading stays, developers just have to verify who they are first.

Well, if they were offering legal services, they would have done that and registered on Play Store for x500 distributorship already, right?

Overall, this beats the purpose of Android being open source. As Apple is regarded as ‘elitist’, so will Android if this stands.

The post Cric-shock – Google Comes for illegal Streaming Apps Like Cricfy, Depended on by Millions of Kenyans for Football appeared first on Nairobi Wire.