This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
There is exactly one app I use that is available only on play store - my bank.
I don't really need the app.
They have a website.
I have a few phones, just got one that now has grapheneOS.
I've been using it for a few weeks to see how it works before I switch over anything to use it as my main. it has a lot of very interesting privacy/security features to test out.
Either way, I don't get anything from the play store anymore.
It's F(L)OSS or a website.
As god intended.
Are they talking about the changes that were made that allow a dev to prevent their app from launching if it fails a Play integrity check?
If so I don’t see that as a big deal since it is up to the dev to use it. OSS devs that want to distribute their app via apk download won’t enable it, and anyone distributing cracked apks will just disable that along with whatever other changes they are making.
Some apps only require 'basic' play integrity verification, but now check to see if they're installed via the Play Store. They refuse to run if they're installed via an alternative source.
This has been a problem for GrapheneOS, since some apps filter themselves out of the Play Store search if you don't pass strong play integrity, despite the fact that they don't require it. Luckily Graphene now had a bypass for this.
From the article it sounds like the limitations come for some app types downloaded directly from a browser. I think this doesn't affect alternate app stores like f-droid where you are effectively delegating approval to their process.
I have come across the other limitations mentioned with the Home Assistant companion app which I could only get matter registration to work with the version downloaded from the Play store.
Maybe for the Singapore thing. For the play integrity thing, it applies to apps from anywhere except the play store directly. I use Aurora to install apps that say "not compatible with your device" for no reason. But a week or two ago ago, they started blocking access and saying I needed to install from the play store.
Fortunately I was able to downgrade and they kept working, but I don't know how long that will last. At some point the server side will change the API.
So you can't use banking apps, or you mean like you cant even use F-Droid FOSS apps at all?
Fortunately I haven't had to do this for anything like my bank app or its multifactor code app, but yeah it would be like that. For apps not published on the play store, they continue working.
well, it sucks
K bye
