So google now requires Id verification for submitting apps to android, what does it mean for Foss apps, for Foss stores like fdroid and for future development?

  • Dessalines@lemmy.ml
    12·
    10 months ago

    A month ago I just bought a xiaomi tablet for my main work machine. Full android, with no google play / google play services, and it runs f-droid and all the apps fine. Haven’t missed any app on the google play store, or that require play services.

    If google keeps on alienating people, people will move over to HarmonyOS, or a lot of the larger chinese companies making android devices will maintain their own AOSP fork, and google will be as irrelevant worldwide as apple is.

  • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    8·
    10 months ago

    I hope we can elevate the discourse in the Android world to accept that Android isn’t about FOSS. It is, at its core, about making Google more money by getting Google more of your personal data.

    Ad blockers and apps with ad blockers are hurting Google’s revenue and they’re going to go after it.

    Honestly it’s not that much better (some argue it’s worse) on my side, being an iPhone user. Like yeah, we can’t sideload, but I’ve never really felt the need to. I think both platforms should have the option though. And screw these Apple guys who say “well you should buy Android if you want that,” doubly so now that it’s not guaranteed in the future.

    • Auli@lemmy.caEnglish
      9·
      10 months ago

      Android has tons of FOSS software compared to iOS. Probably the only reason I am on it.

      • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        In theory or practice? Because there’s nothing stopping any open source project from submitting binaries to either the App Store or the Play Store as long as it meets guidelines, and both stores have them.

        I think the confusion may be in the existence of F-Droid, an Android-only repository of open source stuff that builds apps from source as you install from it, ensuring someone hasn’t tampered with it. But nothing stops the developer from releasing on iOS as long as they follow certain rules. It’s just the code is compiled away from you, so you don’t really know what’s gone into the binary the App Store serves up. That said, if you’re a developer, you can compile yourself. You just have to re-sign every 7 days if you’re a free developer, and you’re limited to 3 installed apps at a time. You can remove those restrictions by paying $100 a year, and some people do that, mainly for the sideloading.

        There’s also the fact that Android is based on an open source project itself (AOSP), but Android as it exists on Pixels is not itself open source. GrapheneOS and others are based on AOSP, and they may be (I think they are) open source.

  • CodingCarpenter@lemmy.ml
    4·
    10 months ago

    You know what really sucks that banking apps are all but required now and your basically can’t have them unless you’re using a locked in version of typical Android.