2d ago

Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting next year

arstechnica.com Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting next year

Google says it’s no different than checking IDs at the airport.

Piracy: ꜱᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ @lemmy.dbzer0.com

arstechnica.com /gadgets/2025/08/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year/

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Did some research and here are your options:
use custom mod (the new restriction only applies to certified devices). You can use microG (/e/, iode, Lineage) or sandboxing (GrapheneOS) to run apps requiring Google services. Google will still try to kill it but my bet is it will still work for at least a couple of years
Ubuntu Touch - you can buy new devices with it, it can run android apps using waydroid but you will not be able to run any apps requiring google services. It can run native Linux apps. Native UT apps are build using QML. It has a completely new system API so it's closer to Android then native Linux. It's based on Halium which uses the kernel from Android
PostmarketOS - native Linux running native Linux apps. Can use waydroid. Few supported devices but everything works on PinePhone Pro and few others phones.
Droidian or similiar - Debian running on Halium. Kind of half way between PostmarketOS and Ubunut Touch. Native Linux but running on Android based kernel
Personally, I will stick with GrapheneOS for now (my Pixel still has at least 6 years of support). When I'm unable to run all the apps I need on it I will switch to two phones setup: stock Android for work/car apps, some Linux phone for everything else. When my Pixel dies I will switch to iPhone.
- Google has already started killing GrapheneOS by removing device trees from AOSP releases. Android 16 works fine, but for how long?
  I would imagine the first thing any custom ROM would do is bypass Google's app restrictions.
  I wouldn't be surprised if in 3 years I would need to pass hardware attestation to install a calculator app from the Play store.
  
  GrapheneOS still intends to support all the supported devices until EOL. The sideloading change doesn’t affect them. It won’t apply to GrapheneOS. It only applies to certified OSes and GrapheneOS is not certified because it doesn’t license Google Mobile Services. As per the rip out of the device trees for Pixels, that just makes Pixels like other phones. GrapheneOS has been able to expand it’s automation to build that device support themselves. For new devices, making the support will take longer than it did in the past though, but they will still support those Pixels, as long as they meet the hardware requirements and still allow third-party OS support with all security features intact. Besides that GrapheneOS is actively talking with a major Android OEM right now in order to help them reach the security requirements for a subset of their future devices. They are very optimistic about tha
  
  Its Nothing Phone right? It has to be, LG is dead, Sony has a niche, Samsung can get fucked, Moto is budget, HMD wants to be Nokia but I just dont see it, Asus?
  
  I'm not going to participate in speculation and rumouring about this. I have an idea about who it might be myself but prefer to not talk about it. Negotations/talks are still ongoing.
  
  AlrightKeepYourSecrets.gif
  
  I would imagine the first thing any custom ROM would do is bypass Google’s app restrictions.
  Those restrictions don't apply to custom ROMs. Yes, it's clear Google is trying to kill custom ROMs but I think we still have couple of years. Linux phones are improving fast and I think in 5 years we will end up in the same spot we were with PCs 20 years ago: you will be able do most of daily driving on a Linux phones but some apps just won't be possible to run (Authenticator apps, banking apps, Whats App, Android Auto...). Dual booting will not be possible so most probably I will end up with two phones: daily driver and work/car phone.
  
  There are not going to be apps on Linux phones.
  Definitely not banking apps.
  Tbh situation looks dire as fuck.
  
  Use a bank with a good web interface...
  
  Sorry most people won't be choosing bank based on that
  
  I guess bitcoin finally has a usecase /s
  
  Well, most people use iOS or android, so we are talking about a very specific and dedicated bunch here.
  
  Some places are killing the web interface entirely and going app-only.
  
  There are not going to be apps on Linux phones. Definitely not banking apps.
  Not with that attitude!
  Get either your political ass to demand that in your country banks support more than just two OSes, or your coding ass so that you can get into programming work pipeline and one day code the Flatpak for your bank. Either would benefit you and everyone else.
- What's a good custom ROM for a Samsung Fold 7? Just bought one and it's my dream phone so so I don't want to give it up so soon already, just so I can watch YouTube without ads. Planned on keeping it for at least the next 4-5 years...
  
  If you want to use custom ROMs you have to check support before buying a phone. Fold 7 is not supported by any custom ROMs from what I can see. Also, I'm pretty sure you can just use Fennec with Adblock on stock Android and not have ads.
  
  You really should have thought about that before buying the device. You cannot install a custom ROM on my Samsung device anymore.
  You always have to look at what devices custom ROMs support BEFORE buying them.
  
  Why would I think about that? I've never needed one until now.
  
  If you want custom roms, you have a fairly restricted set of options for phones.
- What are u talking about. Were u living under a rock? - Google killed off most custom roms

367 comments