Many devs of FOSS Android apps won't be willing to disclose their identity, and there will be no market left for them. Which means abandoning the maintenance of their apps.
this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2025
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Exactly, which means we, the consumers, are losing.
Everybody switch to LineageOS and give Google the middle finger.
In the meantime anyway. The only real way forward is Linux phones and thankfully theyre a lot better these days.
Android will never be safe so long as it's under Google's thumb. They'll just keep tightening the screws til it's just a different looking iOS.
Android is open source. There's nothing saying that we, as the community, couldn't fork it away and use it as our own base, at least in the meantime.
That's why Lineage is called Lineage, and Graphene is called Graphene, because Android is a trademark, but nothing stops you from just forking off, say Android 16, and not relying on Google at all anymore. Make your own security patches and everything else.
Instead of Android apps, we'd have lineage apps. And lineage apps would work on lineage devices and graphene devices only.
Instead of .apk it would be say .lpk and the conversion between the two would be seamless.
so that anybody who built an Android app could with just one single command also build the app for lineage or something like that.
The problem is no banking institution, etc. Would do that. They could simply ignore play integrity already but they don't do that.
And with that, how long until there are no unlockable bootloaders? Then a fork wouldn't matter at all and using a Linux phone with lineage likely wouldn't even work due to lack of device drivers for android.
It is difficult to switch to custom roms when manufacturers like Samsung block bootloader unlocking or like Xiaomi make the process hard.
https://github.com/melontini/bootloader-unlock-wall-of-shame
Yes, you do have to do your research before buying a device. Otherwise, you will end up in this situation. What we really need is for graphene to start coming out with their own devices from a manufacturer so that we can say, go buy this device specifically. So instead of go buy this Samsung, it would be go buy this other thing and graphene would already be on it right out of the box.
Either that or we need a company or individuals to sell devices that they have installed, say, lineage or graphene on already, and put back in the box.
Yeah. Any way to switch my Canadian S10 or S20 to Lineage or similar? I'd do it in a heartbeat.
You can't unlock samsung in canada/usa models. There are paid services but it isn't worth it. Nobody makes custom roms for locked devices.
They have Google in their
Proceed with caution!
The following manufacturers require an online account and/or a waiting period before unlocking.
section, despite you not having to do either of those to unlock your phone to install e.g. GrapheneOS?
True, the README needs some updates. Feel free to open issues or make pull requests.
Except those of us who dont have a LineageOS compatible phone sadly.
While GrapheneOS is a good alternative, it is ultimately dependent on Google not declaring an all-out war on custom ROMs (which is a possibility, however unlikely). Ultimately, the only true way to have FOSS phones is Linux (yes, Android is Linux-based, but not exactly as free as the Linux of desktops)
My next phone will be running Linux. I just hope maps apps get good by then.
GrapheneOS won't really be affected by this.
Googled Android, or proprietary Android, will end up suffering from this nonsense.
Yeah, but Google could make it so that development becomes really slow for such operating systems. Their ultimate goal is a slow death of FOSS phones-they don't maintain AOSP out of the good of their hearts.
I think with potentially lower userbase many foss developers might opt to get registered or stop supporting their apps.
Or they continue because they do know to believe in a better world and refuse to bend to Google's CorpoKnee.
I hope we can elevate the discourse in the Android world to accept that Android isn't about FOSS. It is, at its core, about making Google more money by getting Google more of your personal data.
Ad blockers and apps with ad blockers are hurting Google's revenue and they're going to go after it.
Honestly it's not that much better (some argue it's worse) on my side, being an iPhone user. Like yeah, we can't sideload, but I've never really felt the need to. I think both platforms should have the option though. And screw these Apple guys who say "well you should buy Android if you want that," doubly so now that it's not guaranteed in the future.
Android has tons of FOSS software compared to iOS. Probably the only reason I am on it.
In theory or practice? Because there's nothing stopping any open source project from submitting binaries to either the App Store or the Play Store as long as it meets guidelines, and both stores have them.
I think the confusion may be in the existence of F-Droid, an Android-only repository of open source stuff that builds apps from source as you install from it, ensuring someone hasn't tampered with it. But nothing stops the developer from releasing on iOS as long as they follow certain rules. It's just the code is compiled away from you, so you don't really know what's gone into the binary the App Store serves up. That said, if you're a developer, you can compile yourself. You just have to re-sign every 7 days if you're a free developer, and you're limited to 3 installed apps at a time. You can remove those restrictions by paying $100 a year, and some people do that, mainly for the sideloading.
There's also the fact that Android is based on an open source project itself (AOSP), but Android as it exists on Pixels is not itself open source. GrapheneOS and others are based on AOSP, and they may be (I think they are) open source.
A month ago I just bought a xiaomi tablet for my main work machine. Full android, with no google play / google play services, and it runs f-droid and all the apps fine. Haven't missed any app on the google play store, or that require play services.
If google keeps on alienating people, people will move over to HarmonyOS, or a lot of the larger chinese companies making android devices will maintain their own AOSP fork, and google will be as irrelevant worldwide as apple is.
do xiaomi let people unlock bootloaders?
Generally no then yes,Depends from region and cpu ,nine circle of hell ;) https://github.com/melontini/bootloader-unlock-wall-of-shame/tree/main/brands/xiaomi
In the long term it’s pretty much the end. Not only because of the move, because many services rely on apps that need certification and trust.
Probably a push towards using de-googled OSs like GrapheneOS (which runs Google services in a sandbox). Though on the other hand more and more apps are requiring Play Integrity verification. Things are not looking good.
Probably mostly dead, honestly
You know what really sucks that banking apps are all but required now and your basically can't have them unless you're using a locked in version of typical Android.
.....why?
Credit cards still work and I don't think I've ever had to pay a bill or move money around so urgently I couldn't do it from home.
Reject cell phones. Use Libreboot desktops/laptops and a FOSS OS.