I first read the original report from Android Authority thinking it would only be an additional hurdle for third-party stores and developers, but I’m now thinking that it would potentially block the use of ReVanced
Google says it’s no different than checking IDs at the airport
What, and Google is now the TSA? Fuck that shit. I’ve paid for my device, I get to do whatever the hell I want with it!
I’ve paid for my device, I get to do whatever the hell I want with it!
You bought a phone but is leasing the software. It’s not yours to do with as you please.
Have you considered using fully open source android versions?
Wait, what the hell?
I can’t believe this, who the hell are they to decide what I should install?
They are welcome to curate their own store, but sideloading concerns only the user.
Hopefully, the EU and other jurisdictions block this.
Fucking corrupt American oligarchs.
Hopefully, the EU and other jurisdictions block this.
This is very similar to the notarization process Apple introduced to comply with the EU requirement of allowing third-party stores, and yet the EU doesn’t seem concerned (maybe because Apple did not allow third-party stores in the first place, will it be different for Google?)
Not an Apple user, so I didn’t know about this. Extremely disappointing.
It really does seem avoiding any and all American services/products (to the extent possible, with exceptions where reasonable) is the only way forward.
I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that the US is a ethical, cultural and even economic dead end. Yes even economic, only a fool would believe intense corruption and broad support of criminality and corruption among the population will not have any negative effects in the future.
You think this wouldn’t happen elsewhere?
It’s not just an American thing, it’s an asshoke thing, and those people are everywhere, and will always find a way.
Of course it can happen elsewhere.
Just US has a massive influence on tech platforms, and they are currently under-going an oligarch takeover (oligarch influence was already bad irrespective of whether the far right or centre right was in power).
Mind you I am not anti-American. I have largely always defended the US as a matter of pragmatism (it is the largest and most influential democracy-leaning country with a measure of respect for human right). US has done really bad things, but they have done good things as well. I can’t say the same about say China or Russia.
even the OP phone is considering doing a soft-blocking of bootloader
The EU can’t even distribute their own apps without Play Integrity. Seems unlikely they will care.
Hve linux nerds invented a new OS for phones yet? I think I’m gonna need one
Postmarket OS is getting there. It only runs at all on a couple dozen older phones. And they don’t currently have receive voice. But 2 months ago they didn’t have 4G data or send voice so…
Oh, and battery life is not good.
My next mobile device will likely be a small tablet running Linux and a Wi-Fi hotspot.
God I wish not everything was American
Google says it’s no different than checking IDs at the airport.
You’re not a fucking airport, Google!
No one talking about how this could completely annihilate open source .apk development? First off the lead dev has to get identity verified to get a key, which will reduce the number of devs willing to push through friction to start a project. Then when the key is issued and it is posted to the repository, what keeps anyone from grabbing it and using it for another repo? We’ll they have an official app registration of some kind, ok, what about version control? Does every new version have to be registered before it can be loaded and tested? Same for forks?
This is about to be a terrible mess, Google is assassinating FOSS with this.
You distribute the code without your key and a built package that is signed. This isn’t exactly rocket science.
Anyone who forks the code will have to use their own key to install a package they built.
It’s just unnecessary red tape.
How will fdroid work
Fdroid itself and every package they host will have to be signed.
Maybe there are still workarounds, like enabling dev mode on your phone, but still tedious.
It’s just unnecessary red tape.
Which will reduce the number of people using foss apks, which will in turn, reduce the motivation, and then the number, of foss apk developers.
If you’re technical enough to sideload Android apps, you’re probably technical enough to install Graphene too.
If google is gonna ban sideloading, surely they will lock their bootloaders first.
The current trends and direction of tech is making me want to become Amish…
I’m getting so fucking sick of everything turning into shit, what’s even the point of fucking point anymore? This is borderline kernel level enshitification
Time for a hard fork.
Yeah, need them hardware manufacturers too.
We would have plenty of Linux phones if drivers were open sauce or even just available closed sauce.
I’m probably going to spam this around a bit, since most people don’t seem to know about it, but a reminder that FuriLabs has a (GNU+)Linux phone with decent spec.s and the ability to run Android app.s (from what I’ve heard) pretty decently: https://furilabs.com/
Biggest drawback is it’s based on Halium. Usual growing pains of a new product/company apply but apparently the company is pretty responsive and their dev.s have worked with customers to get things like calling working with the carrier and bands of their country where it hasn’t worked before so improvements move pretty quickly.
Collection of different experiences I’ve variously seen online over the last year or so:
- https://clehaxze.tw/gemlog/2025/07-20-flx1-actually-usable-linux-phone.gmi
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41839326
- https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1fa1ljn/furilabs_flx1/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1j46f2w/flx1_linux_phone_display_out/
- https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/furiphone_flx1/
I don’t own one, myself, so I can’t give any personal experience but I’ve seen it around for a few years now but most people don’t seem to even know about it. Maybe there’s a reason for that? But none I’ve ever seen anyone say.
So Android is pointless now?
No, really. If I’m gonna be dragged kicking and screaming into the walled garden, why would I go with Google’s joke of an ecosystem instead of much nicer and better integrated Apple garden?I might as well start carrying one of those weird branded ultra-tiny laptops from AliExpress and some used, older iPhone for the 2 apps I need.
Fuck it. Throw out the baby, the bathwater, the bathtub, the whole damn thing. Fuuuuck it.Google can get fucked. I feel like there will be a nontrivial market for de-googled or older and unlocked Android phones after this. If they manage to kill off custom roms with their previous AOSP rug pull I’ll go back to using a (subpar) Linux phone or maybe even one of those cheap flip phones.
Don’t worry we can just install Graphene OS on Pixel phones, there is no problem with my plan !
feels funny that you have to buy a phone from google to get around google’s actions…
I’m sure it’s just a fortuitous coincidence and nothing to be worried about
Its 2050, you are waiting outside of the HR Office waiting for them to talk to you. You’re certain that your job has just been replaced by a robot.
Fuck this shit, you thought, 90% of the people are unemployed anyways, fuck this 16 hour shift.
You pull out your hand terminal (yes a “hand terminal”, as “smartphones” no longer have local storage now, almost all computing is done on cloud) and start typing in your journal app: “Down with the regime, Down with tyranny!”. You tap “save”.
“Action not authorized. This incident has been reported”
2 seconds later, you can hear sirens in the distance growing louder and louder.
This gas no basis in reality. No way that society makes it to 2050.
