Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Starting September 2026, 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 September 2026, 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. After September 2026, 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 Developer Options
- 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
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
GitHub Store github-store.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Cryptee crypt.ee
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Techlore techlore.tech
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
FUTO futo.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Brave brave.com
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Proton AG proton.me
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
iodé iode.tech
F-Droid f-droid.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
April april.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
CryptPad cryptpad.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu What they're saying
Tech press
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"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 Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"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
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"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 Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
Editorials & analysis
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"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 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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"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 has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"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 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's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"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
"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
"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
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"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
"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
Organizations & open letters
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
YouTubers & creators
"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
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"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
"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 has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"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
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"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
"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
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"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
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
Developers & community
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"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
"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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"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 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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"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
"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
"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
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"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
"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
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
Voices from the petition
"The act of restricting a user's choice of how or where they get their applications is against the concept of a free market and is a monopolization of how applications are distributed. Forcing developers into the play store is against everyone's freedom of choice. Point blank and center. There is no logic that suggests such a change is good or necessary. The play store can be a place for an average user to download their apps. But the user should have every right to be able to install software on their device which they purchased outside from other sources if they want. There is no good reason for a hardware vendor, OEM, or software company should have the right to limit you on what you can or cannot do with your device. Nor should they have the right to limit developers either. This is an attack on one of the culprit reasons on what made Android great in the first place. Especially compared to the competition (eg. Apple). Such a restriction would lead Android's package and software installation into a direct monopoly with nearly full control of how applications are distributed, rather than letting user's sourcing them from other places if they prefer. When I buy a desktop computer, I fully expect to be able to install my own OS on it, install my own software, and get the installer from their website, or maybe use a command promot/terminal to install it from a package manager. That is freedom of choice. I fully expect the same from any device I purchase for personal use and that is my right because it is a product I paid for. These companies are consistently abusing software and their terms of agreement to essentially change the terms of sale after you bought it. Which is a different issue in itself, yet can tie directly make into these restrictions and practices. It's highly predictable behavior. And frankly no consumer benefits from such change. It'll be argued "for the sake of security and system integrity", yet these companies do not have the spine and integrity to mention the real reasons behind it. Never mind even with such restriction, the Google Play Store is littered with predatory and malicious applications that float around 24/7, yet they intend on restricting apps on the outside that a lot of legitimate developers who put a lot of work into a free and open software platforms they use to give users alternative options of often what is even better software then what is on the Play Store. This is absolutely undoubtedly a severely anti-consumer practice that does not protect you, but monopolizes the delivery of software and restricts access to users and developers. This should never be supported on an "open platform". Such a change fundamentally would turn Android into a predatory, monopolistic and proprietary anti-consumer software. No different from iOS. "
Steve, change.org
"the whole point of android is that it is open. i want to OWN and have actual control over my device. google's decision takes that out. It's cruel and straightup dystopian how it is forcing users to just comply; thus having you not actually "own" the device. we want to freely choose what we have on our own devices, and it's quite blatant the "protection from risks" is only a smokescreen to censor and ... ruin android's biggest redeeming quality. this is a horrible choice "
r.w., change.org
"I think it is a slap in the face for users and developers alike. "
Timothy, change.org
"I use android for the freedom to do what I want with my device. If google restricts my ability to sideload apps, I will switch to a phone with an OS that continues to allow me to use my own device how I see fit. "
Sarah, change.org
"I purchased an Android device just recently and had to send it back because I disliked how central to the user experience Google made itself on the new device. I could never see myself buying another Android if it gets worse than this, and Googles limits on APK file usage is definitely worse. "
Donna Grace, change.org
"Open source is not a trivial matter for the regular user of technology nowadays. However, its importance should be taken seriously if we want a future where we will (still?) have access and some level of control over the technology we are too deeply dependent on for our daily activities. It is not necessary that everybody learn how to program smartphone or computer applications! But it is necessary that everybody know that it is important that big tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and (in this specific case) Google don't close these doors. Be it for their customers or others trying to figure out what they're doing with our personal information. "
Ricardo, change.org
"Google, go rethink your choices! what is wrong with companies nowadays?!?! "
am, change.org
"Government ID verification inches us even closer to a dystopian survallience future without open rights, without freedom of choice, and with orwellian control over our lives. Fight back against this and talk to your family and friends. "
dev, change.org
"As a user, I will always opt to sideload apps whenever possible. Whether I need a photo editor, keyboard app, audio equalizer app, or any other kinds of apps, I consistently seek open-sourced sideloading options before I even consider using the Google Play Store. Whenever I need any mobile app that isn't social, I prioritize finding an open-sourced app solution. With Google's dominance in the global mobile OS market, it's clear they will attempt to restrict any freedoms of their OS that they can get their hands on if they're not stopped. The importance of maintaining the freedom to sideload apps has never been more critical. Legislative initiatives like the App Store Accountability Act, which pushes users into surrendering personal private details to proprietary third-party solutions for identity verification, underscore why sideloading is a crucial defense line. If Google is allowed to proceed with implementing these restrictions, users will likely get funneled into using its proprietary app store, forced to share personal information like age and biometric data that links back to them for targeted ads and surveillance. Google's push for limiting sideloading is a textbook case of anti-competitiveness as well. The danger of this change can be summed up in an analogy: if some people occasionally get food poisoning from non-vetted sources, should we altogether limit food access to vendors that are deemed as, 'approved' or 'verified' by a multibillion-dollar, anti-consumer corporation? If this decision doesn't get shot down, there is a risk of being forced to give up personal privacy, autonomy, and choice. "
Matthew, change.org
"As someone who believes in freedom and not being controlled by the big tech companies, we need Google to reverse this decision, otherwise, I'll just switch to a Linux phone. "
Carter, change.org
"At one point in time, IOS allowed side loading, which is how I was able to play emulators on my iPod back then. Now, much of what I remember being allowed to do is either behind a paywall, or outright prevented. I (we)moved on to Android to escape those restrictions. Don't let Android turn into IOS, and keep your identity from being stolen! "
Alexander, change.org
"One of the main reasons I use Android is the ability to sideload applications—downloading APKs from trusted third-party developers. Now Google wants to limit that? Please don’t leave Android alone and don't take away the freedom it was built on. "
Suyaib, change.org
"Your OS literally wouldn't exist without Linux. Stick to the "
Caleb, change.org
"Literally the best part of android devices is sideloading APKs "
Michael, change.org
"Android, if you are going to be just like Apple, I think many might as well just switch to Apple devices..... Please reconsider "
Kaleonahe, change.org
"I've always been an avid android user because of its open nature, but since the pandemic google has been clamping down on the freedom provided by the platform. First they added extra steps to install appstores other than the play store. Then they took away the ability to install older applications. Then they blocked you from being able to access the filesystem of your own device. Now they want to close the ecosystem, and make it easy for them to oppress the people who made this OS worthwhile in the first place. Google is heartless, and it's only a matter of time until they closed-source the android project. I will not stand for a corporation that willingly hands over the innocent to this authoritarian regime. Leave android alone! "
Issac, change.org
"Smh users should be allowed to install whatever they want "
Challen, change.org
"I do not like doing this to Google but if I have to I will format my phone and I will switch it over to Kiley "
Jonathan, change.org
"Google, don't make me get the spray bottle. "
Skipps, change.org
"dont do that man "
Kaktus, change.org
"Promote Foss and let's talk about the next phone OS "
james, change.org
"Google doing this would not only reduce consumer rights but also create a monopoly. I do not approve of this. "
Alexis, change.org
"As someone who has started making my own apps for fun, the prospect of not being able to test them on my device or share them with friends is ridiculous. If this goes through my next phone upgrade will not have anything to do with google. "
Al, change.org
"We will not let Google apply the closed ecosystem to apks. I just want an open system and freedom of apks on Android. An open ecosystem for us to download apks whenever we want. I want Google to get screwed and there will be a rain of lawsuits against this greedy monopoly company called "Google"😠🤬🗡🛡 "
rhyansamuel, change.org
"I really don't want this to happen because downloading external applications is what makes this operating system special: it allows you to be free to do whatever you want with your phone. I don't want it to become an iPhone 2.0. Please don't do it. "
Dark, change.org
"The whole point of Android is to give the user the freedom to use their phone in and way they want. To limit that freedom will only cause users to resent and stop using android. Hopefully they reverse this choice. "
Eduardo, change.org
"Google, this would absolutely destroy android. Seriously, one of the only reasons people get Androids over iPhones (aside from them being cheaper) is that they can sideboard apps from the factory. Limiting that would be a huge blow to the Android market. "
Christopher, 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
"Some people live hard lifes, APKs gave us freedom and versatility with our smartphones, that one of the greatest things that made me buy and use android "
João Gabriel, change.org
"My device is my device. "
arianna, change.org
"The world can live without android if it's just an apple clone, and the Chinese will copy/clone better if you give them such a easy opportunity sense your taking away freedom, all they have to do is give some freedom and everyone won't be buying apple or android anymore. "
Hilario, change.org
"This is a de facto monopolization strategy and must not be allowed. Censorship and data harvesting are already proliferating, this will make those issues worse. "
Michel, change.org
"If Google goes through with this, there will be no more Free and Open Source Software on Android. This move by Google has nothing to do with malware, and everything to do with oversight and control. I bought this Android device specifically because it was sold to me as an open platform. If Google goes through with this, I will be throwing this device in the garbage and sending them an invoice for $600 "
Llywel, change.org
"Openness was supposedly Android's mission to difference itself from iOS and now they're gonna take it away? I don't want a closed system, you're just making a worse version of iOS and throwing away one of the biggest selling points of your OS, keep Android open. "
Ernesto, change.org
"When I purchased my Android product, it was with the understanding that I could use it how I pleased. This doesn't make anything better, they are doing this in a bid to control what their consumers are able to access. It is predatory and they must be held accountable. "
Phillip, change.org
"Google’s strength has always come from the openness of the Android ecosystem. At its core, Android is built on the philosophy of open source—freedom, flexibility, and user control. Limiting APK file usage directly contradicts that foundation. The ability to install applications from any source is not a flaw in the system; it is one of its defining advantages. It empowers developers to distribute their work independently, allows users to maintain control over their own devices, and fosters innovation outside of centralized gatekeeping. Removing or restricting this capability undermines the very principles that made Android successful in the first place. Open source is not just about access to code. it is about freedom of choice. When users and developers can no longer decide how and where software is installed, the platform shifts away from openness toward control. That change does not simply affect APK files; it reshapes the entire identity of the ecosystem. Developers rely on this openness to experiment, distribute, and build without unnecessary barriers. Many tools, apps, and communities exist specifically because Android allows installation outside of a single controlled marketplace. Restricting APK usage risks alienating the very developers who contribute to the platform’s growth and diversity. It is also important to recognize that users expect a level of ownership over their devices. When someone purchases a device, they expect to decide what software runs on it. Limiting APK installation sends the message that users do not fully control their own hardware, which can erode trust. Policies that restrict openness often face strong resistance because they conflict with the expectations that have been established over time. The Android ecosystem grew precisely because it was different; because it allowed freedom where others imposed limits. Moving away from that principle risks not only developer dissatisfaction but also a loss of identity. Maintaining support for APK installation is not just a technical decision; it is a commitment to the philosophy that built the platform. Preserving that openness ensures continued innovation, trust, and engagement from both developers and users. If Android is to remain true to its roots, it must continue to support the freedom that defines open source: freedom to build, freedom to distribute, and freedom to choose. "
Matthew, change.org
"This is exactly why I will NEVER use Apple *anything* not even movies on Apple TV. I've championed Android since it first came on the scene in my 25+ years of work in the wireless industry because of the open source nature of Android. It is also why I have switch all my devices but one to Linux in place of Windows (They have forever lost my support). Open source matters. It's also what sets Android apart from Apple. I will absolutely not purchase another Android device going forward if it is no longer open source. I have no problem falling back to a basic phone and running open source OSes on my PC, gaming handhelds and the like. This, to me, feels akin to the idea of the United States just erasing the first amendment. I doubt words will change your mind, but my dollars will back my opinion. It's sad that Google has decided to go this route. You've fallen so far since the beginning. I remember getting my Gmail account with beta invite. I remember being happy to see Google become a publicly traded company. I fear now I'll remember how Google became a huge disappointment. At least it's an interesting story seeing first hand the rise and fall of a search engine who's name became a verb because it was so superior. To just become a huge bully to the types of users that propped you up from the start. Of course jailbreaking will happen but how does that improve security? How does that differentiate you from the competition? "
Jeremy, change.org
"Way to get people Ungoogling "
Martin Moe, change.org
"As a developer, stop! This is the only reason I used Android and didn't have to jailbreak and root it. Making this change under the guise of security amounts to manipulation, lying, deceiving your customers, and taking away their rights to use their device in their way. Mark my words, rooting will become popular again and I will personally be at the forefront of actively working against you and your goals. I cannot agree with such blatant bad faith arguments and poor reasoning. You assume most people aren't developers and too stupid to see through this. You want more money by any means necessary no matter how angry people get. Android was supposed to be an open ecosystem and now you're actively anti-consumer. It's disgusting. "
CARLOS, change.org
"As a regular user of Fdroid and other app stores, I want to be able to continue using my devices that I paid good money for to use the apps that I want to use! Stop this locking down of Android immediately! "
Jolene, change.org
"If you, as an Android user are happy using Android but dont understand what this is about, go out and buy an iPhone. Then you'll understand. "
ROBERT, change.org
"Google is an evil entity. I'm not surprised they're doing something evil. "
Justin, change.org
"Mandating government identification and a registration fee to share software is a direct violation of the open-source principles and digital privacy that defined the platform. This change creates an unnecessary financial barrier for independent developers and students, effectively stifling global innovation and the creation of niche, non-commercial tools. By positioning itself as the sole gatekeeper of all app installations, Google is stripping away user autonomy and transforming a once-free ecosystem into a restrictive "walled garden." "
Ibrahim, change.org
"If I wanted my phone to be a prisoner in a fascist dictatorship I'd have an iPhone. I've been thinking about degoogling my life, maybe now is the time to do it. "
Karl, change.org
"I value Android OS as the one alternative we have to the walled garden that is the Apple and its iPhone. Android phones have always been the phones of freedom--the phones you could do anything with, the phones you could customize and tailor to your exact needs. I depend daily on open source android projects run by dedicated volunteers. I'm not a programmer by any means, but even I've written a few small custom programs to run just on my own phone, something I could never do with iOS. To have all this taken away and to make Android as much of a prison as iOS would be a massive blow to consumer freedom, consumer privacy, and, by extension, our ability to communicate freely with those whom we love. "
Daniel, change.org
"who thought it was even a good idea "
Joel, change.org
"I release my apps on Github, this change will make my apps unusable. "
Mitch, change.org
"If google does go through with this I will do everything in my power to convince anyone with an android or google service to stop using it. "
James, change.org
"Im hating Google for this, i hope they not do this to Android system "
Pepino, change.org
"We need android to stay open "
Mark, change.org
"As an Android user, I'm really worried about the new requirement for mandatory developer registration that’s supposed to start in September 2026. The openness of Android has always been what sets it apart and offers real benefits to developers, hobbyists, and users. Features like sideloading and direct app sharing are vital for innovation, privacy, and community-driven software. I hope Google reconsiders this policy and makes sure there’s a simple, low-effort way for users to opt out if they want to install unverified apps. "
Vyacheslav, change.org
"This policy is the antithesis of what makes Android the best on the market. The policy infringes on our freedoms as American people. I should not have to share who I am or what I look like or where I live to a company that I don't care about. The government needs to know who I am, but a company doesn't. The moment the company gets hacked from anywhere/anyone, they have all my information. That is dumb and should not happen, ever! "
Ayden, change.org
"Let me sideload my Android apps. "
Stephan, change.org
"As a power user, Android is my go-to option for mobile OS. Even if they retain a method for users like me to install unverified apps, these projects will suffer from the non techy users being blocked from using these apps. "
Brendan, change.org
"The only reason I have a Samsung is because my VTuber software is an open-source APK, and I doubt Google will approve it then the restriction happens. "
Jesse, change.org
"Android has always been known as the more freedom option on the market. With this move by Google will shatter that belief and create distrust completely. Keep Android free and always will! "
Phuong, change.org
"Google is definitely overreaching in it's attempt to lock down users' ability to install apps via sideloading. There are many valid reasons for users to sideload apps, and many have already been stated, so I won't beat a dead horse. If people aren't smart enough to protect themselves from bricking their phones when they sideload a potentially harmful app, them they deserve what they get. It's not Google's place to be Guardian of the Galaxies (see what I did there?) or Pixels. "
Michael, 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
"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
"I care about digital freedom because the digital world should have the same freedoms as the real world. "
Anabel, change.org
"Apk's are the best part of Google so � "
Nick, change.org
"Google has been sued up the butt for monopolizing before, and now they're trying again? And on top of these ridiculous surveillance laws all because a few parents can't watch their children, this is just a stupid decision to make. "
Kamareon, change.org
"Apple is one of the lamest companies in the world. You have no control on an iPhone. That's always been one of the selling points about Android is that you have basically total control over your device. There's literally no reason to change being able to download independent and open source apps from trusted developers. There are higher chances of getting a sketchy app through the play store. Don't break what isn't broken and then say you fixed something. We already lost our SD card slots. If you see this and you haven't signed the petition, please sign it. Also for more info, go here: https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Dakota, change.org
"We people should have a choice in what we download. There are real, legit developers out there that google is trying to push out. This isn't for your safety, google wants to choose for you what you're allowed to download. Google doesn't care what is safe for you, they want to silence and push out developers they don't like. "
UsagiMomo/SquishyCat/MayNayeo, change.org
"Giving consumers a choice in their software increases competition and ultimately benefits the consumer in the products they use. Giving choice to developers on how to reach the consumer is beneficial from single developers to large companies as it gives them options to be shown in the spotlight or reach a niche group that would appreciate their product. By giving power to a single organization to determine who the winners and losers are you set that company up to always choose their products over a competitor even if their products are inferior to the competitors. "
John, change.org
"Privacy is a human right (just like the man who developed Telegram). It's a necessity too. Android is the ultimate choice because if I recall, 85% of all mobile phone sales worldwide are Android. The ability to customize at will much like a person buying a Nissan Skyline GT-R 34 has as much right as they want to modify their vehicle to their specific needs like more HP! 2000 HP sounds sexy! The same can be said about people with Android phones. Sure, not all people are into customizing but if you buy, it's yours. No excuses from greedy corporate stooges. I love the beauty of side loading 3rd party apps because of the Freedom that it comes with. Android is the choice for hackers too! Linux based kernel under the hood. If Google released the Android platform, imagine how better it would be. It's like George Hotz (who hacked the 1st iPhone) once said "Open source is the best source! Everyone profits from it". " The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their own people " - V from V for Vendetta. I don't remember who said "Give me liberty or give me death!". Developers should band together and be steadfast for there is strength in numbers. Even those who aren't developers! "
Juan, change.org
"The end for digital freedom is already nearing, with all the new social media and age verification laws. The whole point of a computer is to store and process data, allowing you to do various tasks. You should be able to use a device without having to verify 50 million things and give up your identity, it's all just an excuse for the government to track you, create more censorship, and for the companies to sell more of your data. Android is an open mobile operating system, and it should stay that way. One of the main reasons I strongly prefer Android over iOS is how open Android is. This action Google is doing will not protect anything or anyone, it will just cause more drama. "
Angus, change.org
"Google, don't be evil. "
Eric, change.org
"Don't make daddy Torvalds mad what you did with his kernel "
Silas, change.org
"Android is open source, period. On top of that, I'm buying the device. I own my phone, and that means I should be allowed to do whatever the hell they want with it! If I want to click on links from sketchy sites and download things that are not directly from the Google Play Store, I should be able to. Google claims this is to protect their users, but it's nothing more than censorship and crushing competition from a private, anonymous, and often better competitors making free and open source apps on platforms like F-Droid or Obtanium. It's like saying that you aren't allowed to hang a picture you bought from your friend in your own house that your bought, unless your friend pays Google $25 and gives them their ID, but you can hang as many pictures in your house as you like if you buy them directly from Google. Doesn't that sound absurd? "
Thomas, change.org
"This solution simply doesn't make sense. It's not our fault, or the fault of all developers, that people don't know what to do to verify or install an application that isn't malicious. In my opinion, this should come enabled normally on new smartphones, but with a developer option to disable it. You don't have to complicate everything and force us to use an adb command just to install an unverified application. That simply doesn't exist. I provided the solution. "
Saulo, change.org
"The whole reason i chose android over apple so many years ago was for the freedom choice in how and what my phone does and doesnt do. Now google is attempting to take that away that freedom. Im honestly so frustrated with googles invasive practices that i've deleted all my google accounts, and moved on to better, more privacy focused alternatives. Sadly google wants to kill that off. "
cae, change.org
"I'll be concise. This is not the right direction to go. This really is a monopoly and openness is the right choice. You're causing more harm than good and people's freedom of choice needs to be addressed. Thank you. "
Aaron, change.org
"This move by Google is part of a larger trend to limit freedom online and verify everything. Government ID belongs to the government only not Google, so Google has no right to demand usage of it it's not their property and it's not Google users' property either it's the government's. Making developers present this is unnecessary as code review already prevents bad actors on Google Play Store. Limiting side loading APKs is anti freedom, and anti American. When you buy a device that means you are not restricted from doing anything you wish with it. Additionally basically nobody installs something from outside the play store or other markets like Samsung so this clearly isn't a safety thing because only the people who want or need this feature seek it out, and everyone continues to benefit from the availability of open platforms because they could decide tomorrow to install a app store other than google play store to seek out cheaper apps or ones that match their ethics such as open source. Android itself is licensed as open source and inclusion of proprietary google owned code in devices is sketchy anyway. "
Jagur, change.org
"Google is trying to steal money from devs. Plain and simple. "
Caleb, 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've been an user of Android based phones for a very long time. I am fully against the idea of this move Google is trying, as it is just another notch in the attempted censorship and surveillance of the internet as a whole. If this move is allowed to go through, I will find workarounds or work towards getting a third party phone deal where I don't have to deal with this. These big tech companies should not have the authority to force us to bend to them. We have the power to make them back down. Let our voice be heard. Boycott these companies and make them lose money. The moment their financial gains are threatened, they will surrender. "
Brandon, change.org
"As an Android user in Australia, I'm deeply concerned about what this policy means for consumers worldwide. When I purchased my Android device, I chose it because of its openness and freedom. Google is now unilaterally revoking that promise with a forced update — without consent, without recourse, and without accountability. This isn't just a developer issue. It affects every person who believes they should have the right to control their own device. I've already contacted the ACCC and my local MP, and I urge others to do the same. We cannot let a single corporation decide what software we are permitted to trust. "
Kaito, change.org
"I have used android since the begining and the entire reason ive stuck with it (and this has been getting VERY hard lately with all the locking down of android, version by version, more and more like iOS).. this would just be the nail in the coffin for android, for me.. I'd rather daily drive graphene or a very limited linux os than this. Really a shame though when you talk people into using android and all the reasons people choose to switch are being removed. This is something im a single issue voter on, I will cease all google/yt/gemini/etc subscriptions and use the day I can't sideload any app I please.. and this is a complete change for the device, so massive of a change (would have directly affected many of my purchases) that I dont get how they can just do it, literally the stuff that made it special they choose to gut.. "
Joshua, change.org
"Google has always been the biggest hypocrite in the technology space. From stealing people's ideas to just buying them up. And ruining the experience. When I first fell in love with Android, it was because it was an open source platform that I could do as I pleased. I could extract the ROM and customize it to my liking. Now there is no semblance of customizability besides the walls of Jericho that Google has put. We must tear down these walls like the Berlin Wall and watch it burn because again Android was supposed to be for the people by the people not what iPhone or Apple is. Money hungry conglomerate corporate insatiable bastards. "
Adam, change.org
"I use apps that I cannot find on the Google Play Store, Google restricting users to only the Play Store is not only bad, but a hindrance to myself as well since some of these apps I use are of every day use. Android was made to be an open source system since day one, and it needs to stay that way. "
Nova, change.org
"Don't become Apple!!! "
Yahya, change.org
"I believe increasingly closed ecosystems lend not only to the monopolization of tech but are a threat to the digital sovereignty of individuals worldwide making them susceptible to government and corporate surveillance. "
Adrian, change.org
"WE WANT CHOICES! "
Cindy, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom. "
ben, change.org
"They are literally going against the reason people even buy Android phones in the first place "
Lightis, change.org
"This is a grave mistake and disaster and a true display of tyrannical behavior meant to push away the rights of others under the usual suspect aka the old bs saying "to protect the children" or "to keep you safe" its all a lie and this is just another way for the 4th amendment in my country to lose even more of its value and harm other countries that dont gave as many rights as americans do. First it was collusion and social media tracking, then it was ads and personalizations, then came along biometric security such as face scan or fingerprints arent protected by 4th amendment like passwords are, then we had AI invasiveness and the loss of ownership and shifting to subscriptions and now here we are not knly can we not own digital things now we are to lose our last items the physical things we own now under control as well no longer owned but basically licensed to us as long as we arent deemed dissidants. I only can hope that if you dont change that maybe we have alternatives and keep the will to fight back. "
Avery, change.org
"Google and all of the human tech industry companies are trying to squeeze the freedom and very life from all of the people globally. Enough is enough. "
Justin, change.org
"You are now a 0. "
İbrahim, change.org
"As a regular user of Android, I've always loved the freedom that Android gave me when it came to downloading apps and APKs. I've never had an issue with Android up until now. This policy is going to be restricting and a violation of the digital rights of both consumers and the creators. This does not protect anybody in the equation, and if this policy goes through then I will not use Android services anymore. Google, please hear our voices and do not go through with this. You will lose many supporters if you do. "
Simon, change.org
"Big G is destroying Android and controlling the narrative. They want to determine everything you see, think, and can communicate. This is completely against the core freedoms that are constantly under attack. Keeping them from this destructive activity is the only thing that can keep millions of people - at least - alive around the world. Being able to load apps from where ever I want allows myself to even function and communicate. "
Jeremie, change.org
"Android being open is the one thing that set it apart . Giving people a option to be open source is the one of the best things about Android . Censorship is not the way to go . as some one just getting development i was looking foreword to making my on apps and becoming a registered developer doesn't sound great to me . "
Jo, change.org
"I bought an Android phone because of the affordability and more open nature compared to iOS, and hope Google listens to the concerned users and changes its mind regarding this decision. "
Luke, change.org
"Only reason I've always used android is because it's pretty open to apps I make for myself. If that is taken away, there's no reason not to go to Apple. "
Bill, change.org
"Either way this is going to lead to a massive lawsuit My phone is my device Google doesn't own it nor does it have the power to tell me what I can and can't install on the device that I own Google believes that it rules the world it's censorship completely destroyed YouTube now they plan to destroy Android in the same way but $1,000 says by this time next year Google will cave to the demands of the people "
Isaiah, change.org
"Google has their own line of phones already. If people wanted Google to have this level of power over them, they would buy the devices the company is selling. This is simply trying to create a monopoly, if not a universe in which a company holds more power than any government, and I think we all know that that is no good outcome. This is a direct attempt to hinder people's creative freedom and ability to share their own projects with the world, whether it's a fun game, or a useful tool, anything. A policy like this has to go. "
Lucy, change.org
"User: I do! Developer: I do! Google: I don't! They have no real business doing this - maybe if there was an alternative, but there isn't! This is the continuation of the meltdown they've been having about adblockers. "
Nona, change.org
"We want our freedom of speech "
Mohammed, change.org
"Open source has always been foundational to everything Google and Android have accomplished. But locking off local installation will hurt open source development on the Android platform. I personally have apps I won't be able to use anymore. Please don't do this to us, we don't want to have to change platforms yet again. "
David, change.org
"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "
Mikka, change.org