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Let Google know what you think about this: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN3UQeNspQsZCO2ITkdzMxv81rJDEGGjO-UIDDY28Rz_GEVA/viewform
this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2025
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Guess I'm going back to a dumbphone next time because I'm NOT letting Google see what I'm downloading, I'd rather carry a laptop all day.
There are alternatives to Google and Apple products. I recommend the MNT Pocket Reform if you'd like a full keyboard, or a Librem 5 if you prefer a more typical smartphone form factor.
Time to build more PWAs please?
Damn, it feels like someone is treating a 1984 novel like an instruction...
goddamnit I JUST bought a new Fairphone 5 and opted not to go for e/os variant, because I was worried of incompatibility issues.
Guess I'll have to learn how to replace my phone OS in 2026...
In short, they make independent stores impossible?
Mostly; they just force themselves into the process for publishing each app and have an effective veto on apps. So yeah, no stores fully independent of Google.
Will, what's the point now? Fuck it get an Apple. Why not.
EDIT This is the future. Stop sideloading apps, then lock the bootloader.
And here I thought I wouldn't root or flash my next phone.
So I guess my next phone will be a Chinese phone. Even if it spies on me, I'll have the freedom to install whatever I want from anywhere.
The Chinese have a golden window of opportunity. Let's hope they don't mess this up.
will I be able to install the Google Play store on graphino S
Right now? Yeah, its very easy to do, and there's a download link for it included in GrapheneOS's preinstalled app-store.
I am however worried that eventually Google will make running custom software (apks, alternate firmwares) so difficult that development for those will stop long term.
It really is past time we saw serious work on a mobile flavor of Linux. Not AOSP, not anything whatsoever downstream of Google, but a regular Linux distro with a mobile friendly DTE.
Sadly, it only runs on genuinely ancient smart phones. I can't even re-purpose my old pre-loved phones that I've kept after upgrading, because most of them are still too new for postmarketos
Woah, what's a red username mean on Voyager? Are you an administrator?
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Hasn’t Apple been losing in court across the world for doing exactly this?
No, it's nothing like what Apple's been doing.
Apple has been losing in court about everyone needs to give them money anytime anything makes any money on iOS, or even thinking absolutely allowing others to install anything beyond their App Store.
This is Google demanding every app that can be installed on Android must be signed by them, and the only cost is registering with them your name and address, possibly verified by government ID. (And quite possible doxxing you at the same time as they already do on the Play Store....)
These are very different, and unlike Apple, will more likely be applauded by numerous world governments in the current "anything a child can even remotely even know about" must have its users be checked to make sure they are "allowed to".
This is awful. One of my favorite differences between Android and iOS, as both a user AND developer is sideloading.
The closer google gets to apple, the more similar they become. Except apples shit generally all works well together. Knock off air tags, chromecast, audio groups, and so many other things are riddled with bugs and never fixed.
If you make android the same as iOS, I might as well switch.
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This will not apply to GrapheneOS, right?
It won't apply to GrapheneOS. It only applies to certified OSes and GrapheneOS is not certified because it doesn't license Google Mobile Services.
just last month there was news about some changes in Android that will make it harder for alternative distributions..... go figure
this might be the thing that makes me install it
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