cross-posted from: https://jlai.lu/post/24787719
Starting next year, Google will begin to verify the identities of developers distributing their apps on Android devices, not just those who distribute via the Play Store.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the actual fuck, Google‽
I swear to Hephaestus, at this point I’m considering switching to UBPorts or Sailfish OS or something…
I think Sailfish is banned outside of Scandinavia. The company will not allow others to have it if you dont live there.
I think you’re pulling things straight outta your ass.
I swear I just saw something the other day that said it was unauthorized outside the region. I remember thinking it was strange. I swear I remember seeing it.
And, just like that, no more modded apps, no more custom stores, everything is tightly under control unless you install a custom ROM (and then it’s no more banking apps,etc.). And it’s all for our own good, after all, big brother Google knows what’s best for us!
Some banking apps do work so it would be helpful not to spread that misconception.
True. Also, most banks offer a web interface.
For now… :(
My (major Canadian) Bank app (TD) has always just worked, no matter the state of my bootloader or root, and I’ve never bothered with Magisk Hide or anything like that to try to dodge root checks.
Requirement of authentication apps is making it trickier too. If you want to go to a concert or sporting event vended by ticketmaster, you’re fucked outside of Android and iOS.
Clocking into jobs increasingly requires Android or iOS.
yeah, I had to resurrect an old phone to go to a concert last week. It’s possible I’ll never go to one again. I wouldn’t have bought the tickets had I known about that bullshit.
Yes, there used to be papers for “coordinate systems” you could use as 2FA, and SMS one-time-passwords… but they are slowly being rolled out in the EU due to security concerns and the “Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)” standards mandated by PSD2. EU banks are transitioning to app-based and biometric authentication now… here you literally need a phone if you want any form of online banking.
I just use the web browser instead of a banking app.
My personal favorite is how they are doing it to prevent data theft and malware. All they have ever done is trick people out of data. All of their shitty apps that I can not remove from my Samsung phone ARE the malware I do not want. Fuck Google and every person that works there!
shit like this really should be illegal
Probably is
Custom ROM usage is gonna explode
Probably why Google is also taking steps to make custom ROM development significantly more difficult. They evidently want to kill off all Android ecosystems except the ones they control and watch.
setting up walled garden using security excuse. What’s the next excuse?
We all know the reason.
My blood glucose monitor is not on the play store. So one dy next year I’ll wake up and no longer be able to get that data…?
The terrible risk that you install apps which don’t use google-tagmanager, googleanalytics and don’t send logging and user data to Alphabet.
Won’t someone think of the
childrenshareholders
The fuck…
To be clear, developers will have the same freedom to distribute their apps directly to users through sideloading or to use any app store they prefer.
They’re fucking with us
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html
iOS has had this same system for forever and nobody’s ever (seriously) claimed you could sideload on there.
You’re free to distribute your app wherever you like, but no one will be able to use it.
Wish we lived in a world where open source was funded even at a single percentage of what this oligopoly pulls in each year. We’d have a viable alternative to the duopoly by now.
The world is ruled by force and not by justice which does not exist, so soon we will most likely live in a dystopia.
Baby steps: I wish it was mandated that any software receiving even a penny in public funding must be open source down to the last byte.
Sounds like another lawsuit waiting to happen
Wow thanks for posting this. I read the whole thing but what I’m not getting is the fact that their started concern is apks “side loaded”. This is aimed directly at the foss community as normal people already won’t I stall anything outside of the play store. No non tech enthusiasts go straight to git hub …
Apps that use dark patterns (aka almost everything in the play store) are more harmful than apps commonly flagged as malware.
Harmful to who? People? Perchance.
Googles bottom line? Give them all the dark patterns in the world twice.
ELI5 if this will affect the use of F-Droid?
If you have the stock OS from the manufacturer, it will affect you. If you flash a custom ROM, it won’t.
Edit: You can still use F-Droid regardless of which android you’re running, but if you run stock you can only install the apps that have developers registered with google.
I hope there will be at least some bypass using ADB like with older apps.
The bypass is to just not install gspps…
