94 Days Until Android Locks Down: 71 Open-Source Groups Are Fighting Back
The site: https://keepandroidopen.org/ , aimed at Google. And the people behind this are not a random crowd: They are 71 organizations from 23 countries, most of them are the names inside your phone and computer.
43 replies
So glad I’ve got an iPhone. No need to worry about such stuff because it was never mine in the first place.
This is a good joke
Solid joke but say what you will, at least Apple has been forthcoming about their strategy and closed source processes so you at least know what you are adopting into rather than having the tablecloth ripped out from under you after years of good faith investment and entangling your digital life with Android.
This is a silly on purpose, yes?
Because apple is a ridiculous nightmare and my old ipod doesn't even show up when plugged into my PC and doesn't allow me to transfer my own files to it, outside of iTunes, which is basically unsupported on my OS. Or cloud share, requiring Pay Apple money for the space.
Yes. It was a joke. iPhones have the reputation you describe.
I am looking forward to trading mine for a Linux phone some day, assuming it doesn't become illegal to do so under our new AI-worshipping, conservative, surveillance state, fascist overlords.
Where do I sign up for the class action lawsuit?
This is just being dishonest. As far as what got announced, it comes with an opt-out.
Yes this is annoying once when you set up your phone.
This is the actual problem, but it is essentially the same situation as it is now: Installing unverified apps works but might not work in the future.
Also the single biggest economy in the world is unaffected because they had the foresight to ban Google on sight.
I don't think it's that dishonest. Google only walked things back after the outcry, and unless we can motivate people to remain concerned, they'll just silently do it anyway like corps do with everything else.
My phone is under LineageOS without Google Play Services. It will remain mine, thank you very much.
Thinking about Linux when my phone dies of old age...
Can I just turn off Play Protect like I do when I install 3rd party apks?
Apparently not:
Not mine, and it's a Pixel.
Root and isolated play services.
But yea, this is a whole lotta BS. Hope DET can make an impact .
Link?
How will app developers be affected? Will I need to do something special to install dev aversions of my app,?
Are they going to be able to be subtle with this change or do normal folks see/feel tangible impacts of this day one after the change ?
Most people install apps only from play store. Majority of people don't care and won't be affected.
excuse me i want my gcam i side load i refuse to install new updated android makes it much worse for no real reason. google is again doing evil since they removed dont be evil in their code. comments.
they are one of the embodiments of evil today. glad i use ad blockers. also i would never buy ay phones at full price with boot loader locks or even half price it would need to be near free. google just made their phones even more worthless. remember to shame users that use these phones that are locked. anti free speech anti choice anti tech anti innovation
Likewise. I run LineageOS for MicroG. No gapps. It's amazing for the most part, especially the battery life.
The only downside is that I need to have a separate stock phone for banking and authenticators.
I'm at the point where I'm ready to take my pixel 9 and spike it into the ground like a football
It's the biggest piece of shit I have ever owned
So fuck you Google... Byeeeeeee
Try Graphene OS first, don't waste a perfectly fine phone
Yes, I literally meant I was going to destroy this phone in a fit of pique vs installing Graphene.
Thank you for your wise counsel 🙏
Sorry, I had to be sarcastic LOL it's a little unfair because you wouldn't know that I already know
E: this is literally the most delusional place on the planet when it comes to people thinking that other people don't know anything tech related. You're not fucking special... well, you are, just not the way you think lol
*except grapheneos?
Looking forward to ditching android entirely and getting a linux phone instead. Just hoping my current shitty phone lasts until there's good options.
I did the "escape hatch", as they call it. They make it sound so scary. It's so fucking easy.
If you can't follow those simple steps, you probably shouldn't be downloading unverified apps.
And yet on every other computing device I own I don't need some escape hatch to install software. Imagine if Windows did this.
Windows is a great example because Windows S mode does exactly what Google, Apple et al use as their excuse for their avaricious walled gardens. If you want a safe Windows machine, e.g. for business or for wobbly grandparents, that only installs verified apps from the Windows Store and refuses anything else, you can do a clean install in S mode and it will enforce exactly that. If you want to remove S mode and take your chances with everything else, it's your machine, you paid for it, they don't try to stop you doing it.
Absolutely no technical reason why Apple and Google can't work on that principle. It's all about shareholder returns and a corrupt government who won't enforce their own antitrust laws.
Some PCs come with windows in S mode https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/platform-variants/switching-out-of-s-mode-in-windows
MS hasn't defaulted to it yet but they're surely working toward it.
Just switch, you can’t save fascists. The house is burning
Switch to what, exactly?
PalmOS, Windows Phone? /s
I think Symbian is the hot choice right now.
Linux phone distros are a mess but are maturing faster than ever thanks to this. Hopefully given some time they can be a contender
There's supposed to be a GrapheneOS phone coming out next year. Aside from that...PinePhone, maybe?
Linux mobile, I guess. O_o
There's also many other OSs based on Android (or AOSP) but I'm not sure how affected they are by these changes.
And pray tell, how will people run their apps on that Linux mobile OS?
Problem is, Google in the past 10 years moved a ton of what should be open services, into the Play Services package. And now to use those features, you need to play ball with Google...
Probably with waydroid
GLHF running your banking apps, or anything that requires attestation checks (more and more things do).
Me? I only use the website for banking, so I couldn't care less.
I was under the impression that a lot of apps work regardless because vendors provide a replacement (probably with microG?)
I watched a Jolla 2026 phone review and most of the reviewer's Android apps just worked, including his banking app. The only exception was the McDonald's app.
So yeah it's not perfect and an app you need might fail, but generally speaking it is possible.
With apps more and more demanding Google's attestation, and Google shifting more and more towards hardware attestation (full boot chain verification etc.), this will become more and more unusable as an approach.
Today, it kinda works. In 2-3 years when people would've switched, it won't work at all.
I can't wait for a solid Windows mobile phone to come out, or even just an OS that works on multiple different existing phones.