Android

I get that you can get around this but there are 2 major problems I see.

1. Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want to use.

2. Alternative app stores like F-Droid will never be any more popular than they are today. This raises the barrier to entry so much that we can effectively consider the open source phone app movement to be dead in the water.

Never owned an iPhone

Currently on android purely for alternative os's

Next phones for my family will either be Linux, if they hold the line, or iPhone if no one does

Why would anyone pick a garbage Android device if they're as locked down as iOS and costs as much?

Make it shitty, Google. I hope companies that behave as yours are get the same enshitification ending

The whole tech world is just so frustrating. (in before reply pointing out that it's capitalism causing the frustration - yup)

Some of these "features" and "safeguards" might make sense coming from a trusted entity. Even in the real world with evil Google the changes might help some users who use Google everything and might benefit from being blocked from doing stupid things.

But it's not even close to worth it. They cannot be trusted on their own, and now the influence and access of the US government seems 10x worse than it already was.

Start moving to LineageOS or GrapheneOS now. Plan your next phone purchase on a model supporting one of these. eBay a used phone if you have to. Get out.

How advanced are we on the linux phone front?

Lol imagine if Microsoft had succeeded in controlling the development and distribution of all software used on Windows. We'd all lose something.

Keep fighting this shit.

As to the "flow" thing, it's an extra 2 warnings and a mandatory 24 hour waiting period after you select to install apks from unknown sources. It can be permanently enabled, so the 24 hour wait will be a one and done thing if you choose the indefinite option. Googles stated reasoning for this is to prevent non tech people from falling for scam calls or messages using scare tactics like "your bank transfered out your savings" or whatever made to get people to panic and follow whatever commands they're told to do and install before having time to speak to a family member or contact their bank or card company themselves.

For what it's worth, I think that 24 hour part of it would prevent some people from getting scammed. There's a lot of naive people who still fall for stuff like that.

My issue is that I believe this is just a stepping stone to make it even harder or impossible to side load in the future. Like, a year or so later or whenever Google thinks they can get away with it they'll try removing the option to permanently allow side loading. So right now it will just be a few extra clicks and a 24 hour wait one time, but where will they move the bar next?

Google: "Only I can make malware apps!"

Google is trash. Next phone will absolutely be one of those upcoming graphene supporting Motorola phones. I'll grab an old phone to test out postmarketos too

Welp my next phone will be a used phone up to 2024 manufacturing. My current phone is already a used one, although one of 2018 manufacturing.

How would you test android apps that you develop?

Grotesque

Moved to GrapheneOS because of this crap

This is actually awesome. Pretty simple reason: Push more developers to Linux based phoneOS's.

DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS!

They truly are responsible for the value of a platform.

The situation has changed recently.

Google backed down from this being mandatory this week. There will be an option to allow side loaded apps but it will require a 24h delay to enable.

https://www.androidauthority.com/google-android-sideloading-unverified-apps-new-rules-3650343/