The End of Shadow Libraries?

According to the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA), quoting BookRiot, from 2026, the Android app store will no longer be the free territory it once was. Google, the parent company of the Android operating system, has announced its intention to restrict third-party application installations (sideloading); meaning that from now on, only applications approved by official developers or downloaded from the official Google Play Store will be allowed to be installed. This decision, made with the aim of increasing platform security, may lead to the end of an era of freedom in the Android space, and among its first victims will be shadow libraries and illegal digital book download applications.

Many book lovers, especially those interested in visual works such as comics, manga, and cookbooks, use Android tablets; devices cheaper than iPads that are suitable for digital reading. But alongside legal readers, there is also a group that, to reduce costs, turns to illegal versions and archives known as “shadow libraries.” These are websites and applications that publish millions of electronic copies of printed books without the author’s or publisher’s permission.

With the implementation of Google’s new policy, Android applications connected to these libraries are at risk of deletion. Some of these programs, which appear to be free reading software, actually connect to illegal databases and automatically provide copied content to the user. One of the most famous illegal manga download apps on Android, according to reports, will be directly affected by this change.

For years, publishers have been fighting the phenomenon of digital literary theft. For the past decade, websites that illegally publish millions of e-book files have been the main target of publishers’ legal and technical efforts. However, the Android front has always been a major weakness in this battle: anyone could create an app that easily made stolen content available, without any oversight or approval. Now, Google wants to address this security gap with its new policy.

Under the new plan, developers are required to provide their identification documents to Google for identity verification, even if their application is not published in the official store. Otherwise, their program will not be allowed to be published in the Android ecosystem. The goal is to prevent the distribution of tampered and malware-infected apps, but this restriction also indirectly becomes a serious barrier against apps connected to shadow libraries.

Many independent developers are concerned about providing their personal information to Google. They say this requirement violates their privacy and “creative freedom.” Furthermore, even after submitting documents, Google can decide not to approve an application. As a result, many creators of unofficial apps will likely cease their work.

Thus, the distribution path for many well-known shadow library apps will be blocked. Although determined users will always find a way to access illegal content, Google hopes that at least ordinary users will refrain from installing these unofficial applications.