Google cracks down! APKs, ROMs, and Emulators banned — is Android freedom over?
m.economictimes.com
Google is implementing a significant policy shift, banning unverified APKs, ROMs, and certain emulators on certified Android devices starting in 2026. This move, aimed at enhancing security and combating malware, will restrict app distribution to verified developers. Critics argue this move curtails Android's famed openness, potentially impacting custom ROMs and retro gaming enthusiasts.

If I am already using a rooted but proprietary smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S23), downloading my apps from other sources than Google Play, how would Google be able to control what I do with it? If necessary, I could just stay on my current OS build as well. All in all, while politically and philosophically, Google’s new policy is bad, I don’t feel threatened by it with my current understand of the situation and technology…

  • INeedMana@piefed.zipEnglish
    12·
    30 days ago

    From what has been explained to me in some other posts, the issue is that most probably this will land on AOSP level from which all de-Googled androids fork. And with Linux phones not quite ready yet (I’m observing https://liberux.net/ though) that leaves us at their mercy

      • Mark with a Z@suppo.fi
        6·
        30 days ago

        Reversing malicious changes is an extra burden. Google has been slowly making everything worse for years and the forks haven’t been able to do much about it.

        • ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          1·
          3 days ago

          In have e/OS on the Fairphone 6 that comes degoogled. It’s great. I was pissed that microG had calls home, but I just uninstalled it and everything is fine. Most people probably need MicroG for banking, purchases, etc. It could probably harm their sales to not include it. Even if I didn’t delete it, there are so many security layers in this thing and so many obfuscation efforts that I don’t know that it matters. I use NextDNS and deny all Google queries too. So at this point, my battery life is so good that I now am even more alarmed at how many resources are used by corporate bloatware and malware. I still had 97% battery at the end of the day recently. Previously, I frequently charged during the day.

      • INeedMana@piefed.zipEnglish
        3·
        30 days ago

        I’m guessing that maintaining such forks would be prohibitive. Especially since they do have resources to play cat and mice

        But I don’t really know much about Android code, I’m just relying what I’ve heard

    • MasterBlaster@lemmy.world
      4·
      30 days ago

      Looks nice, but I tried this sort of thing with the FXTec Pro, and never received it. After 4 years, they announced the last ones going out, and they apparently “lost” mine. Contacted them and their response was equivalent to a shrug. Next time I buy a product, it’s going to be verifiably on sale publicly.