Install not sideload.

We heard from developers who were concerned about the barrier to entry when building apps intended only for a small group, like family or friends. We are using your input to shape a dedicated account type for students and hobbyists. This will allow you to distribute your creations to a limited number of devices without going through the full verification requirements.

we are building a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified.

Today, we’re excited to start inviting developers to the early access for developer verification in Android Developer Console for developers that distribute exclusively outside of Play.

Does this mean F-Droid, IzzyOnDroid, Guardian Project, etc, are safe for now? The messaging is unclear.

What about other android based OS like Graphene, etc? Will they be affected?

Sounds like Google kinda sorta, almost, maybe, might get why users are upset that sideloaded apps need to be developer-verified. But at the same time, it seems they are still in a self-built echo chamber.

Users need to keep putting pressure on Google to stop their nonsense.

Oh, how gracious of them to allow device owners to exercise their property rights!

Fuck those megalomaniacal technofeudalists sideways with a rusty iron rake. It shouldn't fucking matter what they want to "allow" because they shouldn't have the power to impose their will in the first place!

Too late. My next device is getting GrapheneOS

Google will allow people install what they want on their own phones.

Gee nice

So they're addressing students and private hobbyists, but not open source and hobbyists willing to publish.

Sounds like it will be a kind of sideloading onto your own devices.

that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified

So for F-Droid, a vetting and curating publisher, users will have to go through this expert process. The announcement that activation under pressure will be prevented makes me thing of a time cooldown, like activate now, and it becomes active by tomorrow, 24 hours later.

Scamming is a real problem, and to a degree, it may end up being a good thing. As long as Google does not take this opportunity to push hidden agenda of increasing accessibility and choice, to seize more control not for security but as market and platform strategy.

F-Droid says they don't want to impersonate other projects in order to be able to publish their projects, arguably decreasing security, which is a valid concern. As long as there's a setting to allow this kind of sideloading and the use of F-Droid like before, I guess it is what it is, and may be acceptable.

If only they had started from where they are now. It's plainly obvious there's these kinds of users and use-cases. Did they really need "the community feedback" to learn about everything outside of their primary "linear" users?

We are building a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified.

Isn't this what we wanted?