Starting in August, installing APKs from unverified developers will require a new procedure called Advanced Flow. It involves enabling developer mode, rebooting the device, and waiting 24 hours with biometric verification.

After that, you choose: allow the APK installation for 7 days or indefinitely. The procedure is a one-time process and applies to all versions of Android.

Will the 24-hour wait stop you from installing APKs outside the store?

all 61 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 58 points 7 months ago (15 children)

PSA: GrapheneOS is not affected by this, one of many good reasons to use it.

  • source
  • hideshow 15 child comments
  • [–] 10 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Will other custom ROMs still allow for sideloading? Like PostmarketOS, e/OS/, LineageOS etc.?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 17 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Yes, and PostmarketOS isn't even Android

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago

    Right, honestly forgot about that. Not something I use personally, but hear a lot of buzz about. Anyhow, could a good thing be then to support companies like Fairphone, who sells their phones with e/OS/ already installed? I'll try and recommend it to my friends, if that is the case.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 11 points 7 months ago* (7 children)

    It is still going to affect us indirectly. The problem is that Google is demanding developers to go through KYC even if they are not distributing their app through the Play Store. Not going through with it means nobody with a stock device will be able to install their app, unless they do that crazy workaround Google claims is going to implement.

    This means open source app developers will be called to choose between doxing themselves to Google, or keep developing for us, the 0.01% who is on custom ROMs. It's not hard to imagine that many will just decide to move on and invest their time on doing something else.

    https://keepandroidopen.org/

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago (6 children)

    You should read that link you posted because your info is out of date

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago* (5 children)

    If you are referring to the suggested "advanced flow" this is what I am referring to as "crazy workaround" in my original comment. And in practice that doesn't mean anything.

    Until Google provides a shipping implementation that can be independently verified, our position remains unchanged: all apps from non-registered developers will be blocked once their lockdown goes into effect in September 2026.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    It means there is no demand for KYC, as you suggested.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago* (3 children)

    Yes, you do. Unless you are developing an app just for your friends, or you expect everyone not on a custom ROM to go through the ridiculous "advanced flow".

    In addition to the advanced flow we’re building free, limited distribution accounts for students and hobbyists. This allows you to share apps with a small group (up to 20 devices) without needing to provide a government-issued ID or pay a registration fee. This ensures Android remains an open platform for learning and experimentation while maintaining robust protections for the broader community.

    The above is from the official update by Google.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago* (2 children)

    No, you don't.

    or you expect everyone not on a custom ROM to go through the ridiculous "advanced flow".

    That is the expectation.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago* (1 child)

    If you expect regular users to go through with this ridiculous process you are just naive. Anyone who distributes their app through something like F-Droid will either, have to choose between going through with giving Google their ID or lose 85% of their users, if they are lucky.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] [S] 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    GraphenOS is supported only by Pixel. So we're waiting for a port to other devices! Although I think it's impossible, since only Pixel has a security chip.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago*

    I'd switch but it's not available for my Fold 7, and I don't want to get a different foldable because I like that this one is as thin and light as a non-foldable when folded. Plus I actually like the gimmicks exclusive to Samsungs (Good Lock is a game-changer). Do I even have any other OS options for this device? Pretty sure the bootloader is uncrackable due to some BS tamper-evident seal in the hardware itself.

    (And no, I won't get a regular phone. Once you go foldable, there's no going back. The benefits far outweigh the negatives.)

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 36 points 7 months ago (5 children)

    If only the procedure was the same for their own store.. there's soo much crappy adware there.

  • source
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 18 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    My mom's phone is filled with so much adware from the damn sponsored apps in Googleplay she can barely use the phone unless I wipe it every three months.

    When I checked the security, it was still set to not allow unverified apps and yet...

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 13 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    If Google actually cared about security they ought to stop Samsung from automatically installing TEMU and Candy Crush in their random "updates". It installs that shit whether or not you remove the check marks. The "updates" contain no further updates.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    Weird, I've never had that issue on neither my Fold 3, nor my current Fold 7. The GF's Flip 3 doesn't have that issue either.

    Maybe it's something Samsung does on their non-Flagships to make a little extra money?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    Yes it is. Their entire vendor shit can go to hell. I don't need a Samsung app-store, Samsung photos, Samsung parental controls etc. on a cheap phone that already has Google's versions of the same crap. It's like having 2 operating systems in constant conflict on the same phone, and the only real purpose is for Samsung to collect your data.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 85 points 7 months ago (7 children)

    It's nice that an American company will enforce a 24-hour cooling-off period for the installation of a few 1s and 0s on a device I already own.

    They wouldn't do this for the purchase of a firearm.

    This biting satirical take is brought to you by a disillusioned Android user seriously thinking about switching to an iPhone. If a walled garden is inevitable I might as well go where most stuff gets developed for first.

  • source
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago

    I have to admit I'm in the same boat, ive been on android for 15 years, but if they take away Graphene Im just switching to iPhone, at least then I won't get complaints from friends and family about lack of Imessage.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 9 points 7 months ago (7 children)

    Do you have to go through this procedure for every APK or just once?
    If it's for every side loaded app, does this include updates of already installed APKs?
    That would make the system actual more insecure

  • source
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] [S] 4 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    As far as I understand, this is done for every application installed. Every time. And it seems that the certificates are not unlimited and they will have to be renewed.

    A similar system is already present on iOS.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 10 points 7 months ago

    Wanna give a source for that? Everything I read said that after the 24 hour scare screen, you could optionally enable third party installation permanently. Literally nothing about certificates expiring. Where are you even getting this from?

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    That's what I'm actually afraid of
    Hopefully Linux can soon step up and fill the gap.

    On a site note:
    I've pre-ordered the new jolla phone in hopes to have pretty much a Linux phone with Android app compatibility layer.
    But since my pre-order I haven't heard anything about it anymore and I can't find a blog/news page providing any information about progress or something.
    Maybe people in this thread are similarly inclined to Linux phones and have a link for me...?
    I've already sent a mail to Jolla about that - but just today...

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    From what I'm reading it sounds like it is not per-app:

    Once you confirm you understand the risks, you’re all set to install apps from unverified developers, with the option of enabling for 7 days or indefinitely. For safety, you’ll still see a warning that the app is from an unverified developer, but you can just tap “Install Anyway.”

    https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/03/android-developer-verification.html

    Not that this makes it ok, this process is still something the vast majority of users will not do in practice and will kill the viability of apps with developers unwilling to show ID to Google.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 15 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    Time to bite the bullet and move the phone to Linux as well.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    I pre ordered the new jolla phone, but since then I haven't heard anything.
    Hopefully this will give me a phone with Linux and Android app compatibility layer, until there is more competition in this sector

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago

    You'll have to pry apk installation out of my dying hands.

  • source
  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    My entire job relies on an app not on the Play Store. I wonder how this change is going to affect business. They're hiring a lot of people like they either have a backup plan or no idea what's coming.

    My boss is Gen Z and as such she's tech illiterate, so she doesn't really understand what I'm trying to say when I voice my concerns.

  • source
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

    God I'm such a millennial because I never thought I'd read the sentence "she's gen Z and as such she's tech illiterate." I always figured the next couple generations would just experiment and figure shit out like we did but, phones became the default. Crazy.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago* (1 child)

    While there is definitely an oddly surprising amount of z'ers who seem to barely get tech, I would like to biasedly add that the older of us are largely tech literate, of course exceptions apply. We grew up with computers in the home and at the very least know our way around a file browser. But some folks just a few years under me don't have any other tech then there phones and don't seem to care or even think about pc's.

    Got a new job recently and the other person training with me didn't own any kind of pc and said that she didn't like them. It was weird to me I kept asking her like but what about when you need one and it didn't seem that she ever did. As a tech addled fiend I can't fully comprehend this, I can only get by with my phone for so long on certain tasks before I put it down and pull out my computer. But to each their own I guess?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago

    Advanced flow sounds like a naturopathic prostate therapy.

  • source
  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    I am angry that this outcome makes me happy.

  • source
  • [–] 6 points 7 months ago

    Whelp, looks like I'm spending my PTO week installing a new OS in my pixel and trying to make bank/payment shit work.

  • source
  • [+] 5 points 7 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago

    No, it won't.

  • source
  • [+] -14 points 7 months ago* (8 children)

    “bUt aPpLE is a WaLLeD gArdeN!!”

  • source
  • hideshow 8 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 7 months ago (4 children)

    Lol of fucking course apple is a walled garden. This move literally is an apple idea getting copied to Android. If apple hadn't set this shitty example, showing it can be gotten away with, maybe Google would not have.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] -2 points 7 months ago (3 children)

    And if my grandmother had wheels she’d be a bus.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago* (2 children)

    And if laws didn't exist apple would literally just steal your money directly (obviously google would too)

    But way to dodge the valid point. You idiotically implied apples shit isn't a walled garden or that people would be okay with this move and that was too stupid to even defend, so I guess I get it

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Never implied that at all. I was simply pointing out the hypocrisy of Android users who, for years, have died on the hill that their beloved platform of choice was a free and open alternative to Apple.

    It isn’t and it never was.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 0 points 7 months ago

    Lol android fanboys are almost non existent, especially on this platform. Non cultists have pointed out that shit like this which has existed on Apple's bullshit platform since day one sucks ass. Now that android has mirrored this particular shitty behavior, zero people are defending it and this entire thread is people very pissed about it. As far as the IsNt AnD nEvER WaS aspect, they did indeed hold off from this egregious move for what, 15 years?

    The point that people have actually been making which you are railing against is that they didn't do shit like this for years. This time 15.... So exactly what do you think you've proven again?

  • source
  • parent