Google is trying to push the Pixel phone to the consumers by introducing exclusive apps and software capabilities. You won’t find these features and apps on any other variant of Android devices other than Pixels. But there are brilliant developers and modders who port these apps and features on other Android devices. However, Google doesn’t like that and is now blocking the installation of such apps on other Androids. Google has implemented a verification check feature that checks apps that you’re about to install. If the apps are not from official sources, then you will get a Verification Failure error. But there is a workaround. Here’s how to fix Verification Failure error on Android.
Fix Verification Failure error on Android
When trying to install ported apps or apps from unofficial sources, you will now get an error saying “Verification Failure”, “The new package could not be installed because the verification was unsuccessful” or “INSTALL_FAILED_VERIFICATION_FAILURE”.
If you try to sideload any Pixel apps such as the Google Camera 8.0 or later, or Google Recorder, you will be greeted with this error. When you try to use the shell command to sideload the APK, you will see INSTALL_FAILED_VERIFICATION_FAILURE appear on your screen. It doesn’t tell you why it failed though. Google has not publicly announced this as a security measure, but eager individuals have determined this as not a bug but a feature that Google has rolled out silently
To fix Verification Failure error on Android, you will need to uninstall Google Play Services. You may need to Google account again and also drain your battery for a few hours (optional). Let’s get on with the steps.
Step 1: Open Settings and go to Apps.
Step 2: Scroll down till you find Google Play Services.
Step 3: Tap on the 3-dot menu icon located at the top right corner of the screen.
Step 4: Now, select Uninstall Updates.
Step 5: Tap on Ok when prompted.
Step 6: After the Play Store Services has been uninstalled (or downgraded to be exact), open the Google Play Store app and download the app. If you can’t find it, use this link.
Step 7: After the Play Store Services has been updated, try installing the Pixel app again.
Note: If your Android is rooted, you can use an Xposed module to bypass this check. This is a much easier and fool-proof method if you’re device is rooted. If it isn’t and you don’t intend to root it, then the above steps are your best bet.
