Starting April 30, 2026, users must sign in with a Samsung account to download or update apps via the Galaxy Store.
The change was announced through a notice in the Galaxy Store, seen on devices like the Galaxy S26 running One UI 8.5 in India.
It remains unclear if this requirement applies globally or only to specific devices, One UI versions, or regions, and users are advised to sign in promptly to maintain access.
Could Samsung's forced sign-in policy unintentionally boost rival third-party app stores on its own devices?
With Samsung forcing account sign-ins, is the era of anonymous app browsing on Android now over?
Are mandatory accounts the only way for app stores to comply with new global age-verification laws?
Is Samsung's new mandate a privacy shield for users or simply a new way to harvest your data?
How does this new rule fit into Google's growing control over the entire Android ecosystem?