Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Starting in 2027*, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
↓What Google is doing
In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting in 2027, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.
Registration requires:
- Paying a fee to Google
- Agreeing to Google's Terms and Conditions
- Surrendering your government-issued identification
- Providing evidence of your private signing key
- Listing all current and all future application identifiers
If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.
Who this hurts
You
You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.
Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.
Independent developers
A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. In 2027, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.
F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".
Governments & civil society
Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."
Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door
Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:
- Delve into System Settings, find About Phone
- Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
- Dismiss scare screens about coercion
- Enter your PIN
- Restart the device
- Wait 24 hours
- Come back, dismiss more scare screens
- Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
- Confirm, again, that you understand "the risks"
Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.
Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.
This is bigger than Android
If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.
The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.
Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
But wait, isn't this...
"...just about security?"
The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.
"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"
Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.
"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"
Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.
"...the same thing Apple does?"
Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.
"...just $25 and some paperwork?"
Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.
Fight back
Everyone
- Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
- Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
- Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
- Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
- Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
- Read and share our open letter
- Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do).
Developers
Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.
Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
- Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
- Add the FreeDroidWarn library to your apps to warn users.
- Run a website? Add the countdown banner.
Google employees
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.
All those opposed…
71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org 
GitHub Store github-store.org 
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw 
ARTICLE 19 article19.org 
Fastmail fastmail.com 
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co 
Brave brave.com 
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org 
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk 
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com 
XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org 
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org 
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu 
AdGuard adguard.com 
OpenMedia openmedia.org 
Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org 
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org 
IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org 
Aurora Store auroraoss.com 
The Guardian Project guardianproject.info 
Ghostery ghostery.com 
Data Rights datarights.ngo 
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de 
OW2 ow2.org 
Cryptee crypt.ee 
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org 
The App Fair Project appfair.org 
iodé iode.tech 
Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org 
Nextcloud nextcloud.com 
F-Droid f-droid.org 
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org 
Fedimedia fedimedia.it 
Tuta Mail tuta.com 
LineageOS lineageos.org 
The Calyx Institute calyx.org 
GNOME Foundation gnome.org 
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be 
FOSDEM fosdem.org 
JMP.chat jmp.chat 
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org 
The Tor Project torproject.org 
FACiL facil.qc.ca 
Techlore techlore.tech 
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net 
FULU Foundation fulu.org 
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org 
VideoLAN videolan.org 
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works 
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au 
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org 
Privacy Guides privacyguides.org 
microG microg.org 
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com 
Proton AG proton.me 
April april.org 
CryptPad cryptpad.org 
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org 
/e/ Foundation e.foundation 
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org 
Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org 
The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org 
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org 
GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org 
Italian Linux Society ils.org 
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch 
Molly molly.im 
Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev 
KDE e.V. kde.org 
FUTO futo.org 
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no What they're saying
Tech press
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
Editorials & analysis
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Google has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
Organizations & open letters
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."
Brave
"This is a profound change, one that shatters the entire premise of the Android ecosystem, long regarded as the antithesis of the closed Apple ecosystem."
AdGuard
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Google's abusive approach to the Android operating system has only gotten worse in recent years. Software freedom is sorely lacking in the 'computers in our pockets' we call cell phones."
Free Software Foundation
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."
Infosecurity Magazine
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"There are governments who might very much like to know the names of the developers of those applications so that they can go after them."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Google's developer verification policy creates a centralized database, controlled by a single corporation, containing the real-world identity of every person who writes software for Android."
Brave
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."
KDE
"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."
Brave
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
YouTubers & creators
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."
Techlore – YouTube
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
Developers & community
"The fundamental problem is that we are relying on the good graces of Google to keep Android open, despite the fact that it often runs contrary to their goals as a $4T for-profit behemoth. The 'don't be evil' days are very far behind us."
paxys, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"It is a disgrace how Google has managed this situation. The promised 'advanced flow' hasn't appeared in any Android 16 or 17 betas. Google is quietly proceeding with the original lockdown."
fermigier, Hacker News
"Can't come at a worse time. People are just learning to make things through vibe coding, and they're gonna want to put their own apps on their phones. And now Google says no."
Serinus, Lemmy
"If your country is ever in the crosshairs of 'American interests' and bears the brunt of its sanctions, it is possible that you cannot install apps from your fellow citizens. Your own local government, bank, and store apps."
devsda, Hacker News
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."
pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"This isn't just a competition between app stores; it's a struggle for choice and dignity. Your phone shouldn't be a cage carefully constructed by others, but an extension of your own will."
renshijian, Hacker News
"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."
1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy
"Antitrust action is badly needed. It is ridiculous that I need permission from my device manufacturer to install software on hardware I own."
jim201, Hacker News
"There's an entire genre of scamming where the scammers spend months building rapport with their victims before cashing out. One day is nothing."
free_bip (on the 24-hour wait defeating scammers), Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."
pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters
"Requiring a government ID to distribute software. Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!"
llitz, Reddit
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."
BatteryMountain, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."
gspr, Lobsters
"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."
vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."
chaznabin, Reddit
"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."
RUs1729, Slashdot
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."
cheesyvoetjes, Reddit
"Twice I have had to deal with Google silently disabling my drone app to the point I had to buy an older phone to perform work. When I purchase a device that works with another device, under no circumstances should I be at the mercy of any updates they make."
cbrophoto (drone professional), Reddit
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"I still remember how in the early days of Android vs iOS discussions, the main point was 'but it's OPEN!' The word 'open' was used as a comma by Google people. It was The Thing. The Difference. Good vs Evil and all that."
jwr, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"Computing is infrastructure. Personal computers are a means of expressing agency. This is like banning people from moving furniture around their house without approval from mortgage lenders."
wervenyt, Tildes
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"You are essentially a child to them. The difference is society has decided not to step in to protect you from your abusive parents."
globular-toast, Hacker News
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"If Android's sandbox and permission systems actually worked, then the mere act of installing an app from an arbitrary source would be as harmless as visiting an arbitrary website."
mwcampbell, Lobsters
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Anyone else thinking this looks like a precursor to banning Signal and similar? 1) Put Google in control of what you can install. 2) Get Google to block it."
harry8, Hacker News
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."
jzb, Lobsters
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Google selling Android as both open source and open to running any software you like in order to quickly gain market share, only to break those promises after driving competing platforms out of the market is nothing more than fraud."
GeekyBear, Hacker News
"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."
fsniper, Hacker News
Voices from the petition
"As an Android developer myself, putting restrictions on an OS that people use to escape the restrictions of — let's say — iOS is a really bold and unconditional move. "
EXPOSED, change.org
"Google and Android have built their empire on the promise of letting users modify, adapt or change what they wish on their phone. Taking this incredibly backwards step from what defined their values for so many years is nothing but a slap in the face to all who have supported these companies over all these years. Changing the base use of devices for so many will have knock on effects for security, in disability or aged access and of course a complete abandonment of privacy in all users. Please share this far and wide as this is the opening act to the symphony of absolute control and forced compliance to a handful of Tech companies. "
Robert, change.org
"I got an android phone in order to limit the harvesting of my personal data. Steps like these tighten the screws of surveillance and reduce our freedom to use our own devices as we see fit "
N, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone "
Seth, change.org
"If Google goes through with this, I will stop using Google products and services. This isn't about "safety". It NEVER is. Developer verification is yet another attempt at censoring and controlling everything. "
Elizabeth, change.org
"With Google aiming to lockdown Android, what makes it any different than Apple? The only reason I and many others opt for Android is because it's openness! "
Christian, change.org
"Enough is enough google! I am already swapping back over to iOS for more than a few reasons other than oh i dont know, YOUR OWN PHONES CATCHING FIRE ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE! As a developer, This makes it really hard to want to make an app cross-compatible with your OS! First you flatten the bugdroid, then you make unsafe phones, now this?! Sorry, but even I, a hardcore android fan am taking Apple's stance on this. "
Shibe, change.org
"we pay for these devices and maintain them. we should be able to do anything we want with them. Locking us out is just greed. Like buying a car. then having to pay ever month to use the heated seats that are already in the car. if anything, let us put a different system on the phone. "
David, change.org
"I paid for this device and I can do whatever I want with it "
Marcus, change.org
"Google already has too much to say on which apps one is allowed to run on their phone. Play Integrity already ruins the Android experience for most custom ROM users and now they're going for side loading, too. This has to stop. "
Alexander, change.org
"We should be able to do what we want with the devices we own. Locking everyone into only downloading from the google playstore will just create the walled garden that iPhone has already. "Sideloading" shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing, or something you shouldnt do. Its the same as downloading something on a computer. Im just downloading software on my phone. Imagine if they blocked you being able to downloading anything outside of the Microsoft Store on Windows. This needs to be stopped. The main (and basically only reason) I get an android phone is to have control over it. If this is removed from hs I will have no reason not to use an iPhone instead. "
Steven, change.org
"Google should calm down "
Pablo, change.org
"Nobody asked for this. It's the users choice to install apks on their OWN device that they paid for. Stop doing this google! "
Alexander, change.org
"Android's freedom of choice is what made me switch from apple. I find that limiting that those freedoms such as sideloading an obnoxious spit in the face of all who use and enjoy this operating system. If I wanted an anti consumer product id buy from apple. "
Link, change.org
"Ive used exclusively Android for years because of the freedom it gives its users. Such a wonderful community of developers and users that I know everyone would mourn if it went away. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! "
Alora, change.org
"This was why I didn't use iphones "
Greg, change.org
"Literally one of the only things Android has going for it compared to iOS. You want this gone, fine -- then what advantage do you possibly imagine Android would have over iPhones? Do you really think people are going to continue to buy crap Pixels with Tensor chips at the same price as an iPhone? Android has ALWAYS been about uplifting device ownership. You get rid of APK side loading, you kill the damn OS once and for all. "
Jeremy, change.org
"Having a device where you control what does or does not go on it is our right to have. We bought this device and we should have the freedom to do what we want with the device, regardless of the manufacturer or operating system it is on. Allowing this change to happen is just one more step towards a controlled ecosystem; by Google, for Google and this is exactly what they want. "
Clayton, change.org
"Independent application distribution and creation is incredibly important and is one of the core reasons that I use Android over Apple devices. It's fine to prefer users access apps from a controlled "safe" store, but eliminating the possibility of installing outside applications is definitely not okay. There's no reason for this other than greed both monetary and data Creed. This is not okay for Google to do. "
Brandon, change.org
"As a hobbyist and tinkerer I rely on sideloaded apps to manage my smart devices, maintain privacy and access key items on other devices. Many of these services that I have set up would be unavailable if this goes forward. What's more there is no foreseeable reason why one shouldn't be able to modify, edit and change their own devices as they see fit. Every other computer works in this manner and Android has been no different. Maintaining this freedom is a must going forward and has one of the primary draws to the ecosystem. Google's choice to stop sideloading is not fooling anyone, it's a method of control and siloing. I left Apple because of this, don't think I won't leave Android too. "
Matthew, change.org
"If this update is released, I will switch to iPhone. "
Miguel, change.org
"WHAT GOOGLE IS DOING WITH ANDROID IS A BIG SCAM AND WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. LET'S ADVANCE THIS PETITION MORE AND MORE UNTIL THEY GIVE UP ON THIS IDEA. SHARE THIS PETITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DONATE MONEY SO THAT MORE AND MORE ANDROID USERS SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS CASE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!!! "
Matheus, change.org
"The internet should be free for all "
Ev, change.org
"This is the sole reason that people choose Android over iOS and removing it removes another layer of customization that Android was known for. "
Isaac, change.org
"Authoritarians, I know you want the whole pie, but if you aspire for it we will make sure you lose the majority you already hold. "
Josh, change.org
"I'll be switching to iPhone if they pass the verification requirements, what's the point of using a locked down os if a better one is around the corner. "
Edwin, change.org
"As a user STOP! What made me choose Android over iOS is the openness of it. By doing this you are killing what make android great, the fact that everyone can make an app and load it on his phone. You don't have iOS fan base. We will go elsewhere. "
marie-france, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone 184 likes "
Gabe, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom, let's not change that "
Gabriel, change.org
"I use Android because of it's ease of use. If this goes through, I will be installing a completely different OS. This is Microsoft forcing us to download Windows 11 all over again. "
Aden, change.org
"Android is meant to be Open Source This essentially means people should be able to change their version in any way they want Yes, security is important, but to take away the freedom of what should be open-source and freely modifiable is going to harm android People will look to other OS, such as Sailfish, Ubuntu touch and others "
Jaka, change.org
"This is not only concerning or invasive. It's unjust, deceitful and abusive. Once you break this trust, they can AND WILL control every aspect of the software chain. Not even casual users will be safe then. "
Jesse, change.org
"hopefully this does not become one more avenue for freedom and expression that gets restricted by corprate over greed and government overreach. "
manz, change.org
"I made the choice to use top tier devices that run Android OS because it gives me the freedom to customize my device to my wants, likes, and needs. This is a HUGE deciding factor for any items I, and many others, choose to purchase. "Can I make it mine?" As the de facto IT team-of-one where I work (A small all natural deodorant manufacturer that is currently the quickest growing and is becoming one of top rated brands in the US), people ask me about everything tech. I unequivocally recommended Android devices to the everyday "not-hacking-my-devices" person, and even to those that are techno-wizards. The ability to embrace the freedoms of style, function, usability, and privacy are indispensable in tech. The reasons being: You are not locked into an ecosystem that extorts money from its users and developers, while limiting the functions available to you. You can customize the system to your needs or wants. Less so now that before, but it's still doable and reasonably fun for most. Yet, MOST IMPORTANTLY, it gives you the freedom of creativity and discovery! These devices have the potential to do so much; and as users we have the potential to create so many amazing things! Maybe just for ones own amusement, just to see what they can make, or to discover new skills and challenges. Within that though, there is the potential to create something that changes people's lives, be it just entertainment or something far more significant. By limiting the ability to develop and customize the services you limit the concept of the device. By locking down the system you are locking down growth and the potential of many curious minds. "
Elizabeth, change.org
"I have the right to download apps made from developers I trust. You do not make that decision for me. Hands off! "
Danielle, change.org
"I choose to use android devices because they provide more freedom and ability to control my own devices and how I use them. I cannot support any measure that limits those freedoms in any way or drives up costs in a world where costs are already increasing due to incompetence and lack of care for the average person. "
Scott, change.org
"Me and many of my peers have been android users for over a decade, mainly due to the open nature and freedom to use my device as I wish without friction. Revoking this freedom by forcing developers into this program will harm developer privacy and freedom of speech, accessibility of development, user control over their devices, and preservation of older apps. It's not as easy as move to another OS, as the only other option is iOS and alternatives don't have as many applications needed for general day to day life. This is an overreach of power feigning "caring about user safety" to restrict user and developer freedoms "
Natasha, change.org
"Android is built on the Linux kernel and owes much of its foundation to the GNU/Linux ecosystem. The spirit of that ecosystem is openness, transparency, and user freedom. Limiting APK installation beyond reasonable security safeguards risks turning Android into a controlled ecosystem rather than an open platform. Security improvements are important, but they should not come at the cost of developer independence, open-source distribution, and user freedom to install software responsibly. Instead of restricting APK usage, a better approach would be improving user education, providing clearer and more transparent warnings, and offering optional security layers that protect users without limiting their freedom. "
Alireza, change.org
"Despicable corporate over reach on full display here. Stop the change, let users choose and decided how they wish to use their devices! "
Markus, change.org
"Ad blockers, trackers, and data siphons are blocked almost completely using some of the apps from f-droid. When authorization is given to an apple device to use your voice, the camera, location, there is almost no way at to stop data siphons and trackers. "
Louis, change.org
"The whole reason I use an Android based device is for the freedom that comes with the phone. If I wanted to be governed by my cellphone manufacturer I would use an iPhone. "
Zachary, change.org
"If Android OS is going to be like Apple OS, it makes more sense to use an iPhone in the next process. "
Özkan, change.org
"Limiting APK file issue is not a good idea. It is basically like apple os and will greatly hurt my projects... "
Josias, change.org
"I don’t want a walled garden on android like iOS it sucks "
Caleb, change.org
"This is a spit in the face of open-source and Android's userbase. "
Mark, change.org
"Removing the ability to side load apps is taking away owners right to their own devices. As one of the best phones I've owned this is disheartening. I might as well buy an iPhone "
Kamau, change.org
"Android promised us a choice. We shouldn't let them take it away from users and developers alike just to have more control. "
Cross, change.org
"I paid for the computer, its mine, I should be able to put whatever I want on it. I hate google, I will be removing every google associated anything from my life because of their continued abuse. "
Brenden, change.org
"The biggest reason I use Android is that I'm free of the lockdown and monitoring imposed by Apple. If Google locks out developers then the system I love will perish. "
Samuel, change.org
"Does google not understand that the reaso ehy I refused to use iphones is that I cannot use my prefered apps on it. If google loses that, google loses me as well. "
bruno, change.org
"I want to have the option of what to download and how to download it because if I wanted something restricted I would use Apple "
Sergio, change.org
"I wanted to switch to android because I liked the ability to still have acess to older apps and software when it no longer works. I currently have an Iphone and can no longer use older versions due to the age of my phone. Hearing this news will definitely lead me to proabably buy an Iphone over android. I will no longer have the right to download cool apps like emulators or download apps that no longer work properly on the version of the phone and software I have. I believe Google needs to reverse it decision on banning sideloading. It is a free ecosystem and users understand the risks if they do it. It is unfair for all android phones to be affected because most phones use Android and I belive this monopoly on technology needs to stop. "
Kalista, change.org
"I have always used android for this exact reason. For the freedom to do whatever I want on my device that I paid for. "
Juan, change.org
"APKs have been very useful to me for getting games I would otherwise have to get overseas with my dad earlier. It allows many more other applications to be downloaded on to my phone too, which would allow me to bypass the need to get the admin code to my computer every time I want to get something. What is this bs that Google is doing? "
Ja, change.org
"Android should remain free; we are taking more and more steps towards an authoritarian global society and less individual freedom. FREEDOM is a non-negotiable right. "
Farid, change.org
"I didn't sideload an app on my phone. I installed software on my handheld computer (phone). I own my device, not Google. This overreach of only being able to install Apple, Google, or Microsoft apps and nothing else is likely to spread to our personal computers if it is not stopped now with our phones. Google Play already protects from malware on the phone no matter where an app was installed from. This is NOT about security and lowering risk. "
Amber, change.org
"Android is the most popular open phone OS currently. Google is going back on their promise of an open ecosystem in favor of one where they have control and government entities can pressure them to give up our information to them. "
Andrew, change.org
"This is the entire point of many people using Android in the first place, you take this away and something new will come along and replace you. "
Jacob, change.org
"I've always appreciated Google for it's support of open source projects. This is why the recent trend to lock-in this user's is worrying. I believe Google doesn't need to resort to such draconian measures to grow. It's part growth is proof of this fact "
Kanwar, change.org
"No kings, not even Google. We the people are largely on android instead of IOS because of its open ecosystem. Killing that kills one of your major reasons for existing. Continue and your can bid farewell to massive chunks of users when the decision of what new phone to choose comes around. "
Patrick, change.org
"I'm making this comment because I think what Android and Google are doing is absurd. Because removing APKs from Android, like banning APKs, is very bad. Because Android has had APKs for so many years, taking away something that made Android what it is today is very bad. Many people like Android because of APKs, and I'm one of those people. Like, we had our childhood on Android because of APKs, so that's why I'm making this comment. This is for the good of Google and Android, and that's all. - David "
Davi, change.org
"I want Android to remain an open operating system and platform. "
Eric, change.org
"Let's fight for our freedom. "
Juan, change.org
"This move is a step backward for the Android ecosystem for so many reasons, but most of because all Google claiming this is for "security" is very disingenuous. Malware already exists on the Play Store, and restricting independent, open-source software does not make users safer, it only makes the ecosystem more closed and worse off. This is anti-consumer to a tee and should not be allowed to happen. "
Teemu, change.org
"F droid is my primary way of installing apps. Blocking sideloading will fundamentally change how I use my phone, and make it impossible for me to use my phone in the way that I have for years. "
T, change.org
"I am ashamed of Google for wanting to be a crappy replica of IOS you will kill Android by doing this but it will not kill open source operating systems that will take its place. If you continue down this path enjoy Androids funeral as there will always be coders out there who will fight for freedom of knowledge. "
Mark, change.org
"Literally the best part of android devices is sideloading APKs "
Michael, change.org
"The sooner this is allowed the sooner our country is gone for good. State control over personal devices will have gone too far. "
April, change.org
"Google wanna eliminate biggest advantage of Android over iOS "
Misa, change.org
"I will stop using Android if that actually happens and goes through, because what's the point then? "
Cederick, change.org
"SKYNET HAS INITIATED WWIII :( "
Daniel Alberto, change.org
"The whole reason I keep going with Android phones is the ability to side load whatever apps I want to make the experience exactly what I want it it be. I have been using pixel phones for years because of the clean boat free experience out of the box but without the ability to download third party apk's the core thing that keeps me coming back to Android instead of iOS with be gone "
Boris, change.org
"this will kill the freedom that android provides and will make you lose a lot of customers you're gonna lose a ton of money from this stupid change "
Jimmy, change.org
"Eliminating side loading will remove the main competitive edge that Android has over iOS, remove the open nature that users enjoy and prevent certain use cases. "
Chris, change.org
"I am tired of massive corporations limiting us. I love using android because it is a modified linux kernal and I love using linux. I want android to stay open, android has not right to call itself linux if it will not stay open. "
Charlotte, change.org
"#NoMoreCensorship "
Russell, change.org
"I use android since I was aware of what is tech, nearly since android started as an OS, customizing every aspect of my phone I was capable to, breaking things, some of the things that make android being the sweet spot between being in complete freedom (what can be dangerous) and a kindergarten for cellphone users. In later years still using some good indie apps that the developers can't afford to put on google play, going back in app versions through public apk repos like apkmirror when something went wrong with the current version of an app, and more recently being a software developer. Today this is nothing but one more barrier to do native mobile apps (adding to resource intensive development tools, excessive boilerplate, steep learning curve, hardware and OS fragmentation, play store current policies, and many more) turning testing and feedback into a headache. I as a developer see a potential loss of talent that could enrich the ecosystem, a place where only startups and companies will survive (driven by capitalism) except for a minority of truly dedicated developers. I'm not a native English speaker however today I wanted my voice to be heard, doing it so in their language despite the misspelling I could make. I have hope for open source (especially indie); we mustn't forget that many of today's software foundations, including Android, originate from it. I hope they allow, and above all, facilitate the preservation of open source through the small innovations of more casual developers who improve the ecosystem day by day. "
Alexis, change.org
"This change would defeat the core purpose at the heart of what the Android platform is. Remember when Google used to use the slogan "Don't be Evil"? Well this is about as evil as it gets. "
Justin, change.org
"This undermines user choice, Again. This will hurt countless small businesses and massively increase the barrier to entry for new bootstrapped developer startups. We don't need more gatekeeping. "
Thomas, change.org
"I use Android because I believe in its policy on freedom of software. If Google is able to take that away, it puts immense power in the hands of 2 giant companies (Apple and Google) as the sole arbiters of what software billions of people are and aren't allowed to use. That scares me, and it should scare you too. "
Nate, change.org
"The whole point---for me---to have an Android phone is to stay away from Apple's closed ecosystem. Google locking down APK privileges to "approved developers" spits in the face of this. An owner of a phone should have the right and ability to install whatever they want on it, without deference to any company. If this change goes through, my next phone certainly won't be an Android one. "
Adam, change.org
"Computers and modern technology was built and advanced by hobbyists who could freely develop for and modify their devices. By limiting APKs and off store software installs we are killing the innovation that built this industry. I stand with FOSS, I stand with hobbyists. "
Paul, change.org
"Removing side-loading is anti-user. I'm all for increasing security, and having various strange steps helps with that. You could even have a 1 minute subtitled video that has to play before you can confirm for the first time on a device that you want to side-load apps. But this change shows a lack of interest in users that inspires developers to not care about the Android ecosystem. If Google intends to significantly decrease the scope of Android, that signals that the maintenance costs are too high for Google, and thus, the company intends to let it rot and eventually die, much like many other Google things "
James, change.org
"Locking down the Android OS does not benefit developers, or users. It gives more control for Google, to eventually extract more from their users. Android has not been the epitome privacy and FOSS, for a while now; but it has at least kept some of those options open for users. Limiting sideloading is ruining my last reason to use Android. Time to switch. "
Steven, change.org
"Removing the freedom that Android provides is not the right way at all. If this is enacted, developers will lose their privacy because they have to give their government ID to a tech giant that also has an ad firm and the OS will not be different than its competition. I got an Android device because of the freedom it gave me, and it's sad to have thoughts about switching to iOS. "
Zach, change.org
"I download many applications outside the Play Store because it doesn’t offer the variety I’m looking for. Instead, it constantly pushes advertised apps in front of me, which makes it feel like I’m being guided toward what benefits the platform, not what I actually want to explore. Restricting this freedom feels less about protecting users and more about protecting the platform’s own interests - its revenue and its control over what people can access. It’s like forcing me into a cage, but making it legal - where my ability to choose and explore freely is no longer truly my own. "
Dawn Alexis, change.org
"If Google "Walled gardens" Android, I will never buy a phone with their OS ever again. That's literally the only reason people buy Android, is because it is open not locked down like Apple. F.A.F.O. how much money you'll really lose Google. "
Brandon, change.org
"As the market stands the whole point of having an Android device over an iPhone is that you have more freedom over your device. Android is secure. Any claim that this change is for security is a farce. Unwitting users are not downloading random malicious APKs and then clicking through warnings to install them. It just is a non-existent problem. This change is about Google seizing power for personal gain. It's remarkably short sighted and foolish. If they're going to get rid of developer and subsequently user freedom then there's no reason to stay with Android/Google. I don't like Apple, but they already do security and privacy better and are in all other ways comparable. Google has had no claim to any kind of morality for quite some time, but with this move they are now so greedy and so stupid that they're actively working against their own interests. "
Steven, change.org
"Being free and open is the number one reason I use Android. If that were to go away, it would reduce its competitiveness with ios "
Vivian, change.org
"We own the phones so we should be able to do whatever we want with them. Waiting a short period is not the way to do it. This feels like control and blocks. We are not kids. Please let us actually have control of our phones. "
nicholas, change.org
"Don't trust billionare companies, they want to take away our choice! "
Hugo, change.org
"The reason I went with Android at all was its openness, every major release seemed to wear down at that, and now the recently announced lockdown of all apps needing some paid license? That's Google unfairly abusing its monopoly position. "
Adpocalyptic, change.org
"The whole point of android was user choice. Remove that and you remove all incentive good luck with sales. "
Jason, change.org
"This seems important not to let Google be the all powerful mega corp "
Adrian, change.org
"The reason I chose Android is for the openness of the software. If Android isn't going to stay that than myself and millions more will find other phones to use and own. Choice matters. "
Andrew, change.org
"Being an "approved developer" is such a stupid word. Android was known for the freedom of developers and now we are being silenced. "
Kash, change.org
"I want to be able to load any arbitrary APK onto my own phone. I should not be limited or made so suffer in any way because some bad actors take advantage of naive people who act irresponsibly. It is my choice to install my own software or F-Droid or anything. Taking that choice away means Android has no value to me as a product. "
Seamus, change.org
"Terms and conditions work both ways. Google cannot simply violate their end of the bargain like this. "
Katrina, change.org
"Please stop monetizing making your software worse. I will quit using it. "
Bobby, change.org
"This issue would directly negatively effect my day to day usage of my android phone, concerns of this issue have resulted in me installing GrapheneOS on my phone to avoid this potentially becoming a reality. "
Kyler, change.org