3d ago

Let Google know what you think about their proposed restrictions on sideloading Android apps. - Android developer verification requirements [Feedback Form]

docs.google.com Android developer verification requirements

Use this form to submit questions or feedback about the new Android developer verification requirements announced in August 2025. You can learn more about the requirements in the Android developer verification guide. Sign up for early access here.

Source of feedback form:

https://developer.android.com/developer-verification (bottom of page)

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105 comments

Sounds like the thing that will finally get me onto another platform. Sideloading is the only way around most of these companys' draconian restrictions.
- There aren't really many choices when it comes to mobile OS.
  
  Not a lot currently, but what's needed is for the snowball to start rolling. This means the early adopters will have to make the more difficult decision of choosing "lesser" options wrt. comfort and convenience, compatibility, and bang for your buck. All decisions matter, and it will have long-term effects en masse.
  
  At this point I'm ready to be an early adopter. I'm so tired that Im willing to do that.
  
  If Windows phone didn’t take off, nothing will. It was so far ahead of its time, and a legit alternative, but developers didn’t want to support a new platform and neither did users.
  
  The Windows phone entered the market while the market was stable, and users had little reason to move away from what they were used to and comfortable with. These days users are getting more uncomfortable, hence why Linux is on the rise. Same with the push for more liberal software (FOSS). I believe if a company can do it right, and offer a stable and comfortable alternative, they can manage to be much more successful than the Windows phone was 10 - 15 years ago.
  Disclaimer: I haven't checked the statistics, but I remain optimistic, and continue making choices that align with my principles.
  
  Linux is not on the rise lol.
  People are locked in to iOS and Android. There is no appreciable number of people who would switch to another ecosystem and lose all their apps, purchases, etc.
  More importantly, just like what killed Windows phone, developers won’t support a third platform, nor will customers move to a platform that doesn’t have the big apps that they need - many, if not most, of which are from Google themselves.
  
  Linux has doubled its market share in the last couple years and is on an exponential growth curve right now. Valve's push for Proton and Steam Deck has changed a lot.
  Also, if Linux-based, non-Android phones or tablets became fully functional and feature complete, there would absolutely be a good number of people who would switch. I'd be one of them.
  
  Doubling your market share is easy when your market share is so low. It’s not on an “exponential growth curve” lol. The steam deck changes nothing for Linux as most people playing them don’t give a shit about Linux.
  
  Linux gaming users are in the tens of millions of people. It's not like this is some super tiny community. There are more Linux gamers than macOS gamers by around double.
  About two years ago Linux gaming market share was hovering below 2%. Now it's over 4%.
  Yeah.....it's smaller than Windows by A LOT, but it's continuing to grow every single month on the Steam Hardware Survey. With Proton, SteamOS/Bazzite, and the Deck Verified program, Linux gaming has gone from "this sucks" to "this works unless there is kernel anti-cheat".
  
  Linux gaming users are in the tens of millions of people. It’s not like this is some super tiny community. There are more Linux gamers than macOS gamers by around double.
  Nope, not in the tens of millions:
  
  People using Linux computers at home, including for gaming, is a super tiny "community". Also not close to double Mac, and even if it was - Mac isn't a real gaming platform, so the fact that it's not even double Mac is evidence of how little people care about linux for gaming.
  About two years ago Linux gaming market share was hovering below 2%. Now it’s over 4%.
  Not on steam it's not.
  Yeah…it’s smaller than Windows by A LOT, but it’s continuing to grow every single month on the Steam Hardware Survey.
  Purely because of the steam deck, and windows is growing too - not everyone uses steam on windows, whereas it's really the only option for Linux.
  Linux gaming has gone from “this sucks” to “this works unless there is kernel anti-cheat”.
  And unfortunately for Linux, without this it will never take off because the overwhelmingly most played games all have kernel level anti-cheat.
  
  You seem to look at it quite pessimistically imho, but I'll try and counter ;-)
  developers won’t support a third platform
  We're not talking about a vastly different ecosystem. Probably Android-derived (which is open-source), very likely Linux derived. So compatibility is not going to be a huge issue, hence developing not hard. Developers will usually follow where user demand goes, not the other way around.
  nor will customers move to a platform that doesn’t have the big apps that they need
  Most of the big apps today have a smaller equivalent, check AlternativeTo.net.
  Doubling your market share is easy when your market share is so low.
  Generally true, but we're talking a growth of millions of users a year. Millions of people is no small number. 5% of the US' traffic are from Linux desktops, according to StatCounter (here's an article with many links).
  Nope, not in the tens of millions
  You're correct wrt. gaming, as 2.89% of 157 million active monthly users is about 4.55 million, which is not a small number either. If you look at Linux desktop users in the US however, we're talking over 5% of 347 million, which is 17.35 million users in the US alone, which is also not a small number. It's more than the population of Greece and Bulgaria combined.
  Purely because of the steam deck (wrt. Steam Linux users growth)
  Do you have numbers? I can't find any official numbers of active users on the Steam Deck, but there are estimations of 3+ million devices sold. I feel like I keep seeing posts of people who move over to Bazzite and similar distros these days for the sake of playing games, but nevertheless, both of these factors weigh in, and are steadily increasing the adaptation of Linux systems.
  without [kernel level anti-cheat] it will never take off because the overwhelmingly most played games all have kernel level anti-cheat.
  This is denying the antecedent. The amount of games, and money in games, without KLAC is plenty substantial to make a difference in the approach of both developers and DRMs, further increasing ease of adaptation by users. Do not undermine nor underestimate the potential of marginalities.
  
  Back to a Java flip phone then. Or just off portable radio based computing as a whole. We don't need portable telephony, and we certainly don't need to carry portable supercomputers.
  
  True.
  Linux on Mobile has a poor ecosystem and only works on older phones (older then most Android roms)
  
  Have you see FLX1 phone? Based on Debian.
  
  Just looked it up, ane it seems to be $550 with worse specs than ny current phone I paid $130 for
  
  No
- I will transition off Android if this gets deployed, this is unacceptable.
  
  To what exactly?
  
  I am hoping PostmarketOS or perhaps SailfishOS get some much needed momentum both from Google's actions and the fact that a lot of people (on a relative basis) are realising that many large American companies profoundly corrupt and cannot be trusted.
  
  What will you switch to?
  
  For the next phone I get it'll be one with good custom ROM support and sticking with a degoogled device. But, if that too stops being an option because custom ROMs stall then hoping there will be a Linux Phone by then.
  
  Some android fork
- What platform you going to go to? iPhones?

105 comments