Im not trying to “spread fud.” The state of 3rd party software on android is where it is. Google is introducing a high friction system for unverified apps that includes fees paid directly to google, and is not releasing to aosp in advance at all… this potentially means things like f droid and aurora cant operate. It doesnt mean that gos wont “allow” sideloading, but that you wont have alternatives to load. It also means you will have to increasingly be limited to sandboxed google play, with more barriers to overcome to make those apps work on non-android. https://www.androidauthority.com/android-changes-third-party-app-stores-3613409/
Wish i could find where i read that google was planning to eliminate bootloader access… they walked it back in the end after expected uproar. Ultimately, the pressure from ‘verified by google’ and the changes to AOSP are enough pressure to push out ROMS as it is…
I don’t doubt that in the future Google will kill off the AOSP and disable installing custom ROMs like Apple does. But it just isn’t accurate to say that in 200 days sideloading on GOS won’t work or that Google disabling sideloading on their ROM even affects GOS in any way.
Im not trying to “spread fud.” The state of 3rd party software on android is where it is. Google is introducing a high friction system for unverified apps that includes fees paid directly to google, and is not releasing to aosp in advance at all… this potentially means things like f droid and aurora cant operate. It doesnt mean that gos wont “allow” sideloading, but that you wont have alternatives to load. It also means you will have to increasingly be limited to sandboxed google play, with more barriers to overcome to make those apps work on non-android. https://www.androidauthority.com/android-changes-third-party-app-stores-3613409/
Wish i could find where i read that google was planning to eliminate bootloader access… they walked it back in the end after expected uproar. Ultimately, the pressure from ‘verified by google’ and the changes to AOSP are enough pressure to push out ROMS as it is…
https://www.androidauthority.com/android-rom-calyxos-support-freeze-google-blame-3590268/
Anyway, listen. I LOVE graphene. Everyone should use it, BECAUSE google is demonstrably a band of fuckwits. Im not trying to dissuade but inform. I am excited for an announcement about who theyre working with when they say their future is a phone made in connjunction with a “major OEM” maker. https://www.androidheadlines.com/2025/10/grapheneos-may-break-pixel-exclusivity-with-a-new-phone-in-2026.html
I don’t doubt that in the future Google will kill off the AOSP and disable installing custom ROMs like Apple does. But it just isn’t accurate to say that in 200 days sideloading on GOS won’t work or that Google disabling sideloading on their ROM even affects GOS in any way.