Those are installing, yes. But I think there's no such thing as sideloading vs installing, since, sideloading is a way of installing stuff.

for instance, if I wanted to install an app on my BlackBerry Z30, I needed a special tool running in your browser to do so. So a 2nd device, with a protocol. That second device surely then "just" installed my software. But I would call that sideloading, since I needed a 2nd device that has the way to install stuff on my phone.

if I can just click the apk on my phone to get it installed... then that's installing. But if I need my PC and a special tool (e.g. adb) to do the installation for me (again, 2nd device, custom software etc... and there's no other way) then it's sideloading again.

Installing from Steam or Windows Store is not sideloading, since you don't need anything special. And using a tool that's already on your target device is nothing special IMO.

If Steam would need to run on a seperate device to install games on your PC, that surely can be sideloading. Also, if I buy a Switch game from Nintendo Store webpage and tell it to install it on my Switch, it's sideloading again.

This is how I like to thing of the word sideloading, at least.

But overall, sideloading is installing - so in the end, there's no such thing as sideloading anyway.

Yes. GrapheneOS isn't a bridge too far for anybody. It's a modified Google Android. It's in the background and out of mind; it's an operating-system for mobile-computers; it is Android. It's like saying, "A Samsung is a bridge too far". It doesn't even make sense. Family members are used to Android mobile-computers? Guess what? GrapheneOS is Android.

It's blatantly absurd to ditch Google's Android out of a concern about monopolistic abuse and buy an Apple product... I'm sure they can twist themselves into knots attempting to explain it, but it probably comes down to, "I want an iPhone."

I want to state clearly: all of this bullshit is collective. Have a fucking spine. Use free-software on your computers. Stop letting Microsoft/Google/Apple fucking rape everyone. That's capital being slurped up only to further cement their monopolies and fuck everyone else over. Your decisions matter. If your point is that your family-members are drop-kicks and don't know how to use a computer how can you explain your decision? Let Google or Apple look after them? Hello? We're kind of in this situation from that trajectory... Knuckle down and let's continue then. Nothing changes.

Play Services are updated separately from the rest. I am pretty sure the install restrictions will be Android 8+.

The microg people have their own downstream ROM for LineageOS.

https://lineage.microg.org/

Yeah but no amount of HW hardening can guarantee SW without bugs.

I get it. I have my brother and mother on it, and sandboxed play is enough to make it mostly transparent to them, but I guess if they rely on the Google components of the Pixel ROM a lot, switching might be difficult for them.

Well half the problem people have is all the hurdles Google puts in the way.

If I install a game on my PC through Steam or by downloading the files directly instead of the Windows Store then it's still just installing no matter if Microsoft put a thousand "are you sure?"s in the way.

My bank's website is a bit dogshit to say the least, but I have not yet tried MicroG, so I'll do that next. Thanks a lot.

EDIT: No luck, MicroG does not work

Lineage have stated they won't be adding it to their ROM. But I understand the sentiment and I'm on the journey myself. Microg will be the next thing I try.

I recommend this list for a (non-comprehensive) list of banks that work without GApps

Otherwise check if your bank offers a website. Thats usually an easy way to get around the dependency.

edit: and check if your bank will work with MicroG instead of GApps

Ahh I understand. I only have one vehicle that uses electronic keys so I bought an OBD II adapter from a place vs taking it to a shop. I highly doubt I'm going to get a different vehicle any time soon to need to add more more keys.

I have that, it's pretty neat. I want to see what I can get into regarding keys in party because I'm a commercial door locksmith that is bi-specialty curious

Weird, it seems "just installing" requires so many more steps...

Graphene, for the lay person, seems to me indistinguishable from Android, if you get them a decent launcher. You can still install anything they need from F-Droid and put Aurora Store for anything commercial they would like.

The difference under the hood is what makes it interesting.

Yes, I do, and I have. But I also manage my wife's phone and my mother's phone and Graphene is a bridge too far for them. And it would be less painful for me to get them on iPhones.

They rely on apps that currently must be installed manually or from f-droid. I've been considering apple nonsense for them because the ability to (relatively) painlessly use software of our own choosing is the only distinguishing feature left for their use case. And there are actually apps on the store there that address their needs.

Sadly, it's never just been "installing". If it isn't on "the store", there's always been a hurdle to getting it on your device. They just keep putting bigger and scarier hurdles in place.

Sideloading restrictions will still affect the people who make the apps though.

It is an insane power grab

It is interesting, since GrapheneOS claims good modem separation. Perhaps it's a good idea to disable baseband altogether, or not buy devices with baseband.

Also cloud drives and chat software do that. I was surprised by AirDroid, it's constantly talking, don't know why

This is very easy, you can see what apps keeps a connection forever and cut that via battery settings

Always free to create your own alternative if you're after purity.

Just grab an ELM327 Bluetooth OBD II adapter and Torque for Android. At night it can easily be used as a heads up display and if you get the window cling for the heads up displays you can use it in the daytime too. It won't add or remove keys but it works great for data logging and diagnostics.

Maybe this will help?

https://xdaforums.com/t/app-aamotomic-route-android-auto-mic-to-helmet-interphone-cardo-sena-free.4777722/

You have a Pixel. Put Graphene on it. No more sideloading restrictions, and you get the update.

https://grapheneos.org/install/web (needs Browser that supports WebUSB, meaning Chromium based. CLI Installer is also available.)

From the data I pulled from ADB though it's not clear that the hash is actually gone that's what I'm trying to figure out