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Gonna save You a click:
"LineageOS says Google’s new developer verification system will not affect devices running its custom ROM."
*directly
Several projects have already announced sunsetting in light of this announcement. It's hard to predict what will come of even major projects like F-Droid, but there will absolutely be a major cooling effect on the entire platform.
But why? As far as I know these projects make money from donations and surely the people that donate would have a custom ROM or root, speaking of which, there are app installers that work with Shizuku
There's been app whose developers stopped after no longer being able to publish to the Google Play Store, even though they also published to F-Droid.
I don't know why, but the "cooling effect" is certainly real.
Yep. In some cases, Google play sales subsidize FOSS users. In other cases, if the user count is not high enough through all sources, it's just not worth it for the devs to keep working on a niche project. F-Droid users are a tiny fraction of users, and ROM users are a fraction of F-Droid users.
Any Android custom ROM basically.
Here's the real thing. Without custom ROM you are not only at Google's mercy but at the mercy of the carrier, who gets paid to install loads of junk you can't remove. Adware and surveillance is the goal here, and the ability to remove it is the target.
This is not true at least here. There are no vendor locked phones AFAIK. Idk why, maybe another EU boss move. You need to start regulating this shit across the pond.
The funny thing is this will kill the premium android phone market harder than any other move Google could make.
Incompetent losers, Google is such a massive waste of resources.
I feel like you're overestimating the number of people who buy a Google or Samsung device because they want to install third party apps. A lot of them buy an Android device because they just don't like Apple. Most folks don't install anything from anywhere other than the Play Store because they don't even know there are other choices.
In general, people's preferences are most often born from whatever their first device was, and nothing more, with little interest in what they can do with it other than what's required of them.
This isn't going to move the needle at all. Most normal people don't give a shit, and unfortunately the normal people out number us by a lot.
I do not understand this statement.
You mean if it's not possible to easily sideload apps, people won't buy premium android phones?
Because if that's the reason, iPhones would be a massive failure.
If everyone in the world was like me and you, yes, the most popular phone would be the fairphone and maybe they would even sell it with a Linux ROM, while iPhones and other phones with locked bootloaders would be impossible to sell even at 95% discount, but we account for the 0.0001%
Installing any apps I want is the only reason I'm on android, if I have to suck it up and bend over backwards for my phone company, I'd buy apple, it's a much better phone most of the time, better build quality, lasts a few more years both hardware level and security update level.
I mean I'm not switching, but some family members who rely on me for advice on what phone to buy, I don't think I can recommend android in good faith.
I wish that were true. But most consumers buy a phone based on a few metrics - the screen (large, bright, vibrant), fast CPU/GPU (mobile gamers), cameras, storage capacity, software support longevity, battery life, general bling (colors, shiny), and pre-chosen platform/cult (Android, iOS).
Techies like us care. But we're very much the exception, not the rule.
And if sideloading can be unlocked and available after a 24-hour wait - as Google suggests - then it'll matter even less.
almost nobody i know irl installs apps outside google play through direct APK installs (or f-droid)
Tech sucks now. Nothing I own is truly mine anymore. And things are getting more and more locked into vendor platforms where you actually rent stuff instead of own stuff
Claw it back.
Can you still install Lineage OS on a flagship modern phone?
A lot of them don't even let you unlock the bootloader anymore. Definitely getting harder to find one that let you.
You'd need to check for a specific device in their wiki but I'd be rare if they don't support ir or that they aren't working to port it to a device
Oddly I'm yet to own a device they do support.
I suppose it's mostly my fault as I've not proactively searched before purchasing.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy the supported devices are pretty grim.
That's odd, I can remember back in my day that Samsung-s were like the first thing they poked with because pretty much everyone used Samsung phones. Maybe they did something to their bootloader or something...?
I won't blame you for not knowing, though, but now that the writing is on the wall, better be sure before buying another phone about compatibility for third party OSes, if not one that comes with one already installed
Samsung no longer has unlock able boot AFAIK
Yes absolutely 👍
I'm also courting the idea of using a Sailfish OS phone.
Yeah you really need to check the Wiki before shopping. OnePlus is a pretty good choice. That's what I had until switching to GrapheneOS (Pixel devices only for now, something from Moto next year).
I run it on my Oneplus 12, a couple years omd but I'd consider it a modern flagship.
Yes. Provided you find a phone that can unlock the bootloader and you are fine in losing banking app, government issued apps and such amenities....
Given that Samsung and Xiaomi doesn't let you unlock anymore.... Unless you are ok giving money to Google to buy a pixel, new or used, there are really little choices currently. Nothing phones, a few motorola (hit and miss...).
For example, we have digital ID that you can load on the phone your ID card and driving license, which is not allowed on unlocked phones. Also, McDonald app doesn't work on unlocked phones ...
So good luck hoping people will use custom Roms, even less than before. Google is fucking us a small step a time.
I'd rather not be able to have a digital ID on my phone if I have to allow a company full access to scan my stuff, how do I know they won't delete my ID at some point and just say it is what it is?
It's easy enough to work around most of it, with web apps. You can even install them to have separate icons. Granted, there are some things that are impossible, like digital ID, but there aren't any that fundamentally affect phone usability, for my personal use.
What's holding me up is work stuff. I get a stipend to have a work phone, so I just use my personal device, but I'm getting a separate device for work soon so I can cut out everything Google/Microsoft on me personal device. Digital control and privacy matters.
Just lock the bootloader again? I don't have Google on my Android and can use banking apps and most others that don't have a hard requirements on some Google API.
Most phones can't even relock the bootloader. And newer Samsung ones can't even get flashed. Recent updates removed even the ability to flash a custom recovery
so you're selling your right to privacy and choice for the convenience of a...banking app?
you sound like a cheap date. wanna go grab some food from the dumpsters behind Arby's?
I'm very happy with the compromise offered by LineageOS between a Googled phone and a free OS. LineageOS support was a hard requirement for me while choosing my current phone.
I'm using LineageOS. I wasn't quite sure whether it's what I want to stick with long term for various reasons, but during the roulette of alternative phone OS, it's what my choice to try first fell on.
I hope there will be other, better options as well.
there's also chinese phone users..
they're not great since those also have locked bootloader though