223
Google will be restricting Android soon! (piefed.ca)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/linuxphones@lemmy.ca
44 comments fedilink hide all child comments
:omya_google: 1
 

Google will soon be requiring android app developers to pay $25 to register their governments ids to make apps outside of the play store.

The package (com.google.android.verifier) will be introduced on devices running Android 8 or higher, granting Google the ability to block the installation of unverified apps.

Complete your migration plans before Google puts up the barbed wire making it much harder to leave.

The alternatives are Graphene, Calyx, Sailfish, FuriOS, Ubuntu Touch and Postmarket OS.

95 days: 30 September 2026: Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand and Singapore.

188 days: 2027: Globally.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 7 points 4 months ago (6 children)

Already on Graphene. I might have to take one of my spare Pixels and restore it to stock since I need Play Services to use my local transit apps, but that will only have absolutely minimal data on it to operate those.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 6 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Thinking about Graphene right now. If you've got time, I'd be curious to know if you've had any downsides, regrets, or drawbacks. It sounds like maybe this transit one, but in another comment it sounded like actually there's already a solution to that? Why don't you like that solution? I'm not criticizing you, I actually don't know what the solution is or what its drawbacks might be. Have you had any other issues with proprietary apps? As much as I don't use them for most things, I do use them sometimes when I have to.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago

    I am multiple months in so far and I have no real regrets. If you're someone who uses your phone for payments and you're in the US, proprietary apps are really your only option, though I can't speak to their functionality since I don't have Play apps installed in my main profile. That being said, many banking apps do work just fine, there are compatibility options for those that don't, and worst case scenario, you're stuck using a browser app.

    The transit apps are a minor inconvenience for me. I only use them for travel when I have no other good options. My only real issue with them is I don't trust Google even with the sandbox. The apps require location to be on. I don't want Google to know my location, and even with the sandbox, I just can't have a full assurance that the info isn't somehow getting back to them through something the app itself is doing, even when the Play apps aren't allowed location access themselves. Disabling the network for the transit apps isn't possible, since how would it book the ride with the service, y'know? So I'm stuck with giving them limited access, which is the best I can do. Having a separate phone just gives me one more layer of abstraction and is a personal paranoia thing. The separate profile is fine. I just prefer that extra layer.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent