How generous of them that weβre allowed to install software on our mobile computers that we own.
this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2025
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it won't be long until you no longer own your device, just that you have a licence to operate it, that can be revoked at any time.
That's technically how it works already, at least in theory. But we all know that's 100% bullshit.
Why google is doing this? I just want to download apps from F-Driod. I just want to install software on a device that I own!
Because they are mad about Epic winning the right to operate they're own play store on Google. They want ALL not most of the money
Remember when Google backed off the changes to Chrome that prevented adblockers from working and a short time later implemented those changes anyway? Why TF would Google start caring about what users want now, especially since this issue is way less visible to most people? Google wants people to think they have a voice about what happens with Android, not to actually give them one.
Blocking side loading will force apps and any generated revenue into Google's Play store which is exactly the point of this no matter what Google says.
The bloviating Google is doing now is irrelevant. The company will move forward with blocking side loading within the next few months, guaranteed.
Exactly. They'll back down a little bit to reduce some of the bad publicity, and then later they'll quietly expand the remit until the same end is reached anyway.
The frog is boiled slowly.
Google has far too much power. We should not be subject to the whims of a company that does not and cannot have our best interests at heart. For this reason, my next phone will be a Fairphone or, I hope, the new Graphene phone when it comes out late next year.
I feel like experienced users is going to be people who know how to use ADB, which means that they didn't change anything from their original statement. That's just my concern.
Let's wait and sew how that's supposed to work. Inb4 you have to verify yourself as experienced user to be able to do this...
In this day and age, I'd be not at all surprised if you had to pay a monthly "developer fee" or similar to get access to sideloading.
I was just talking to a friend of mine last night over beers about how he'd pay to not have all these companies foist AI on him, and my response then was what it is now. Don't give them any ideas.
Oh no, I'm going to try and attract Murphy, hoping that his law still holds.
Oh I suuuuure wish we would have to pay a subscription for sideloading! I suuuure would hate if we got the feature for free permanently! Man, I soooo want to pay a subscription for this basic feature soooooo baaaaad!
Give me root assholes. I'll show you experience.
I'll root your asshole!
No thanks your mom said you aren't very good at it.
Worst porn plot ever
You fix the cable?
Pizza guy distracted me
What counts as "experienced"? Because I'm capable of installing a custom ROM
On another article I read, according to Google:
Anyone who's not gullible enough to turn off multiple protections, by following directions of someone scamming you.
I turn off multiple protections because they dont protect me, they are not protwctions they are artificial technical barriers to the freedom of the user
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(6 replies)
so we gotta pass exams to sideload now? /jk
Honestly if they add a test you have to pass to install anything even from the Play Store and this test blocks my mum, I'm all here for it. π Some people ought to just not be allowed to install apps.
so long as 'wedding album' apk shared on whatsapp don't get installed, i'm content.
On that note, is totalvirus regarded as reliable in this context?
That's one hell of a silver lining I can get behind.
"Please correctly tap the TWRP Logo within 1 second"
shows a bunch of random symbols spread out on the screen
There's no way a granma would be quick enough to get to it.
I've been using Android since gingerbread, does that make me an "experienced user"?
Blast from the past. I had a tablet I loved that I think I upgraded from gingerbread to honeycomb (?)
Don't think I was around for froyo or whatever and before. Didn't have a smart phone yet!
We are designing this flow specifically to resist coercion, ensuring that users arenβt tricked into bypassing these safety checks while under pressure from a scammer. It will also include clear warnings to ensure users fully understand the risks involved, but ultimately, it puts the choice in their hands.
That sounds great actually! Lets see how they actually implement it though. After how they communicated this previously, I'm hesitant to get my hopes up.
"Please select the logos in order"
displays TWRP Logo, Lineage OS Logo, Nova Launcher Logo, and Fdroid Logo
no explanations or instructions
"Please complete this within 5 seconds"
I am concerned that they haven't explained how they're going to implement this for (and who counts as) experienced users.
I am also concerned that they have probably found a work around to get what they want while paying us lip service.
I suspect it will be you have to register and every month you press a button at midnight to have a shot at getting an unlock code.
What's the problem with side loading apps? It might mess up my own shit, that I bought and own, and can fuck up if I wish?
That's the problem; handset makers don't believe you own the phone. They think it's their phone that you're paying to use temporarily.
Because we, the techies, are a tiny minority. There are billions of comparatively clueless users who can apparently easily be scammed into installing malware. Governments and banks will be exerting significant pressure on Google to make their phones "secure", and they can actually threaten them. I don't see this as some grand conspiracy to destroy the hobbyist scene, Google just doesn't care about the individual.
There are billions of comparatively clueless users
It's worse than simply "doesn't bother with customizations", people these days just watch short-form videos algorithmically fed to them with zero interaction. These are my parents, WeChat short-videos, on loud speakers in the livingroom. You can hear it upstairs. Also, there are occasional horizontal videos they watch in portrait mode. The fuck? Who watches a landscape video in portait? π€£
Boomers and Gen Alpha are actually quite similar (well my parents aren't "boomers", but they have boomer mindset)
A one hour cooldown period, a scammer would not want to be on the phone with you for over an hour to try to wait for the timer to run out, and any experienced user will enable it when they very first get their phone, so won't have to ever deal with it again. LOL.
That's not true. The YouTube scam baiters are on the phone with the same scammers for many hours
Fuck it, make it 24 hours.
Does anyone have one of these phones https://linuxstans.com/linux-phone/ and can say anything about it?
Other Linuxphones would be fine by me as well :)
[rant]
I'm strongly feeling there's an end coming for using Android in the way I used to.
Google Play Integrity bullshit is putting the nail in the coffin, if killing F-Droid doesn't come first.
Too many lickspittle app developers cave to Google's monopoly.
Then again, I was able to grow up without a portable computer and while the world has changed quite a bit since that, I'm sure I can go back to that.
[/rant]
They cave because the amount of people who sideload anything is a rounding error of users. Most just load from the Play store.
And what good is 'sideloading' (imo a loaded expression), if you can't use your phone the way you want because of the Google Play Integrity crap that fails on custom ROMs?
Btw. I don't think that the amount of F-Droid users are a rounding error, but I may be wrong.
Play integrity is likely created at the behest of banking and gov apps that are routinely attacked and frauded.
Librem 5
Can't say much yet tho.
I'll believe it when I see it.
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