Your phone is about to stop being yours.

101 days until lockdown

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:

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:

  1. Delve into System Settings, find Developer Options
  2. Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
  3. Dismiss scare screens about coercion
  4. Enter your PIN
  5. Restart the device
  6. Wait 24 hours
  7. Come back, dismiss more scare screens
  8. Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
  9. 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.

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

ARTICLE 19 article19.org The Calyx Institute calyx.org Tuta Mail tuta.com Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org The Tor Project torproject.org The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org Ghostery ghostery.com European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org Nextcloud nextcloud.com The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu The Guardian Project guardianproject.info Fastmail fastmail.com FOSDEM fosdem.org iodé iode.tech Data Rights datarights.ngo Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co Italian Linux Society ils.org FACiL facil.qc.ca Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org FUTO futo.org The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev microG microg.org The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org OpenMedia openmedia.org The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de KDE e.V. kde.org Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be Molly molly.im JMP.chat jmp.chat Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org AdGuard adguard.com VideoLAN videolan.org Techlore techlore.tech Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org Unified Push unifiedpush.org Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org GitHub Store github-store.org Rocky Linux rockylinux.org LineageOS lineageos.org FULU Foundation fulu.org Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org April april.org F-Droid f-droid.org Cryptee crypt.ee CryptPad cryptpad.org Privacy Guides privacyguides.org IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org OW2 ow2.org The App Fair Project appfair.org Brave brave.com Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au Aurora Store auroraoss.com The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com GNOME Foundation gnome.org Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org Proton AG proton.me /e/ Foundation e.foundation epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works Fedimedia fedimedia.it

Read the full open letter and thank the signatories →

What they're saying

Tech press

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"

MakeUseOf

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."

I-Programmer

"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"

heise online

"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"

TechCrunch

"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"

How-To Geek

"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"

The Register

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"

9to5Google

"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

"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"

Ars Technica

"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"

Ars Technica

"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

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"

The Verge

"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"

It's FOSS News

"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

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"

Tuta Blog

"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"

SlashGear

"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"

Infosecurity Magazine

"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"

TechSpot

"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"

Gizmochina

"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"

Techzine EU

"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"

Reclaim The Net

"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"

The Register

"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"

Open Source For U

"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."

Android Police

"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"

Android Headlines

"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"

Datamation

"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."

Thom Holwerda, OSnews

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"

Bleeping Computer

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."

Hackaday

"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"

Cybernews

"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

"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"

Slashdot

"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"

The Register

Editorials & analysis

Organizations & open letters

"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

"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

"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

"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."

AdGuard

"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

"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

"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"

Tech-ish Kenya

"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."

Tuta

"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."

F-Droid

"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

"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

"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."

Nextcloud

"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."

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

"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."

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

"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

"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 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

"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."

F-Droid

"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

"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."

AdGuard

"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

"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."

F-Droid Open Letter

"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

"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."

Nextcloud

"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."

AdGuard

"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."

Osservatorio Nessuno

"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."

ACLU

"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

"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."

Tuta

YouTubers & creators

"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

"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

"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

"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 has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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

"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."

fireborn – Blog

"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

"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 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 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

"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

"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

"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."

fireborn – 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

"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."

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

"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

"That's not openness. That is control."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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

"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

"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

"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

"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."

Tuta Blog – Blog

Developers & community

"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

"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."

masterofn001, Lemmy

"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

"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."

gumby271, Hacker News

"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."

layfellow, 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

"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

"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."

girvo, 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

"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

"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."

MrZander, Hacker News

"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."

hn92726819, 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

"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

"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

"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."

anordal, Lobsters

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."

Tiraon, Tildes

"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 seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."

hbn, 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

"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

"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

"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."

BenjaminRi, 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

"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."

tejtm, Hacker News

"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."

afferi300rina, 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

"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."

lynxy, 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

"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."

TheTearMiser, Lemmy

"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."

vala, Lemmy

"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."

Zak, Lemmy

"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."

nibbleyou (developer in India), 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

"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."

flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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

"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'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

"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

"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

"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

"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."

gcupc, Lobsters

"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."

survirtual, Hacker News

"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."

WaffleMonster, Slashdot

"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."

Max-P, Lemmy

"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."

Apocryphon, 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

"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

"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

"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

"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

Voices from the petition

"This would destroy a lot of unknown developers and other people who make great apps. "

Aidan, change.org

"Genuinely fr "

Hanifinio, change.org

"dear android, you are doing what you did to unlimited photo storage and making it limited. i have been eyeing the linux cell phone ecosystem for awhile and hope that is my option if you decide to limit and cripple the ecosystem you helped build. i have been degoogling my services like photos, drive, gmail, and calendar. if you change for the worse, i will change for the better "

michael, 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

"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

"Please don't do this, I have always been opposed to the apple mentality, I view this as my device and have loved the openness of the android ecosystem. I used to root my phones and load my own os, replace boot animations, design my own UI. Those are my fondest memories of owning an Android phone, I no longer do those things but I still occasionally side load an app, or go to FDroid, Amazon's app store, if you revoke my ability to do these things I can no longer argue against owning an iphone, as my biggest argument now is Google's android open ecosystem versus apples closed ecosystem. Don't be Apple, be Google, be better. "

Jake, change.org

"As a regular user of APKs, I think this system is so much important for us, bc we need this. GOOGLE DON'T BAN APK "

Alison, change.org

"One of the biggest things, if not the biggest thing, Android has had over Apple for the longest time is the freedom of the user to make the phone theirs through downloading third party apps, through developers making their own applications without being required to release it through an app store that requires a fee to put it on. My own personal experience has been that I could play one of my favorite games that's no longer on the app store. With these new restrictions and requirements Google is proposing in September, we would lose that freedom, and would become no better than Apple "

Morgan, change.org

"The biggest reason I use Android is because I like the fact that it's open and if I don't like something I can just fix it also I like the ability to have my open source apps which you're trying to kill I guess you're just going to help boost The amount of people that are switching over to a true linux-based phone "

Justin, change.org

"Allow us beginning programmers get comfortable with writing scripts and getting used to a whole new set of rules without needing to have licenses that cost money. "

Wes, change.org

"Open APK usage is literally the only reason I switched to Android in the first place "

John, change.org

"A company like Google should not be allowed should not be allowed to do something like this. As a regular user I find what they are trying to do deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an Android phone, it's with the expectation of having control over how I use it, not to face restrictions or censorship, this is not even going over the massive privacy risks and data theft, this is an open source operating system and freedom should be key, I do not like how all of these companies and governments are trying to push age verification for everything, and I would hope for the decency of being given privacy "

Ronnie, change.org

"You know, I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate friend group that doesn't have an iPhone. If android turns into just another version of iOS then what's stopping me from just going ahead and getting the iPhone to be in their ecosystem? Nothing. Wouldnt it be easier for me to just be the same as them if there's nothing better about android? "

Danielle, change.org

"Talk about the definition of "hypocrite", nice job Google! "

Thomas, change.org

"Yeah, when you buy a product it belongs to you. You can do whatever you want with your product. I like it open source since it gives full control on the potential you can do with your cellphone. I don't need a nanny telling any consumer what to do or monitor constantly on where I go. I don't like having to give out my personal information to a corporation that has had history of abusing personal information of users. And I don't like the direction it's going by making everything closed source. Android would be no different than Apple. I'm considering purchasing a linux phone so that I can fully have privacy and some form of freedom. Hope this will be a start of a change. Have an odd feeling Android will be going in the direction of what Discord is trying to implement with biometrics and building a profile off of the user of the things the user searches, the contacts the user has, and even the calls. Enough said. "

Cely, change.org

"Android has always been about freedom and customization. Let's keep it that way "

Jacob, change.org

"Been using the android platform since 2009. Removing the ability to use MY device in the way it was always intended is disgusting. I won't stand for any of that hogwash. "

Kurt, change.org

"I've always loved android because of the freedom to download apps. Now that Google has decided to lock the bootloader, we need to do something so it stays customizable or else. I will switch to a Linux phone if this happens. "

Andrew, change.org

"I find this measure deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an phone, it is with the expectation of having control over how I use it. A company should not decide how I use my devices. "

Abdoul, 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

"Help new developers earn an income and revolutionize our apps and games! "

João, change.org

"If the current plan moves forward, the few advantages of freedom on Android will be lost, because inhibiting the use of APKs reduces the user's freedom more than its risks, especially because the lack of security on Android is not limited to using APKs from external sources, but using websites or any file from malicious sources, which are not necessarily an APK. If you really want security, should you also disable Android's access to the internet to avoid downloading malicious files, or are you only interested in APKs? Finally, Google Play is not necessarily better than an external store, because it does not expose the source code of Apps to be investigated and verified, unlike F-Droid, for example, which has numerous criteria for uploading apps and prioritizes verifiable FOSS apps. In my opinion, this change is not aimed at the user... "

Gabriel, change.org

"Google will lose so much money from this, and frankly, we know money is all they care about. Not only is this an obvious nosedive into fascism, it's anti-consumer and I hope Google suffers for it. "

Darien, change.org

"APK or go away "

Joshua, change.org

"Honestly with having used Android multiple times throughout my life, platforms like F-Droid have provided me with some very good open source applications and I'd hate to see that go away. "

Lucas, change.org

"whatever happened to actually owning something you bought? like seriously stop with this nonsense. I should be able to install things onto my phone as I see fit. "

Eric, change.org

"The change to requiring app verification through a wireless, centralized service, instead of a feature of the OS, is a change that is inconvenient at best, and threatens the portable device market as it currently stands at worst. By making this change, Google is further revoking the customization and autonomy (or what is left of it on most carrier phones) that not only drives many users to get Android in the first place, but is a reminder of what makes computers so wonderful, in my opinion; the ability for every one to customize, and hack their own device to be perfectly their own. This wonderful thing is a basic function of any "free" computing platform that should not be revoked, but increasingly, it has. Please, Google, do not take this direction, and shut off the venue of customization that allows people to use their devices the way they want to, and has lit the torch for many future software developers and computer scientists. "

Zacario, change.org

"We should have the right to use our devices how we want to, whether we install our apps from official sources or not. Google already by default blocks installation from outside sources unless you yourself allow it and warns you of potential dangers from installing 3rd party apps, we should continue to have the freedom to install what we want on our devices and choose to take a risk or not going outside of the Play store. "

Joshua, change.org

"This would mean there's no longer a reason to use android "

Chandrea, change.org

"I find it frankly baffling how Google is trying to erase one of the selling points of their products because of their need to control Android even further. "

Theo, change.org

"I think it goes without saying that I'll never use a legit android OS ever again if this goes through, literally the only reason Android is better then IOS is BECAUSE of the flexibility and freedom. Just like censoring on the internet makes a country no better then China, Android will be no better then IOS. I'll just go to a third party or install a custom firmware if this shows no signs of slowing down. "

Jesse, change.org

"I should be allowed to make my own decisions about what I want to install on my device, smartphones nowadays are basically pocket computers and the ability to install apps from any source is by far the biggest reason I chose Android over iOS. Only being able to install apps from verified developers also gives power to Google to censor apps they don't like. "

Ryan, change.org

"The tight to sideload software is a central feature that sets Android apart from iphone. Without it you can expect Android marketers to drop as users like me shift to Linux phones and Android alternatives. "

Richard, change.org

"Android has always been the more free-range mobile OS. Had this not been the case, I would have switched to Apple long ago. Open-source, third-party software has driven the Android ecosystem and app development. It's no coincidence this is coming at a time when surveillance and squashing opposition is rising parallel with fascism. "

Kahina, 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

"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

"This is the main appeal of android to me. Having the freedom with my own device that I paid for instead of being limited. "

Joshua, change.org

"my devices are mine and mine only. any argument otherwise is tyrannical "

Dee, change.org

"Freedom to choose... With this new move by Google, that freedom is ripped away. Moves like this are things monopolies do, and Google has now proven it wants to be a monopoly. Android has been the staple of choice and open source since it's inception and taking that away is a slap in the face to every person who chooses to customize their phone, and create an experience unique and exclusive to them. Google, stop this foolishness by not forcing users and developers hands. They should have the freedom to choose what they want, or how they develop. "

Kevin, change.org

"What Google is doing seems awful to me; taking away the user's freedom to install any APK app they want is like forcing users to install whatever Google wants. It's deplorable. "

Pedro, change.org

"Dude just stop stealing our personal information already please. -_- "

Evan, 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

"Many game developers who don't want to go to the trouble of posting in an app store (because they don't want to be exploited by the algorithm or are just programming students wanting to share Your creation with friends) would have difficulties with the new apk restriction, in addition to old games that no longer exist in any store are made available in Apk form,Some older phones also cannot install applications from the play store etc. so applications are often installed through apk, especially Work apps "

Emanuelle, change.org

"This policy shift is concerning for developers. Android has always stood out because of its openness — the freedom to build and distribute apps without excessive barriers. Requiring mandatory verification and charging fees adds friction that especially impacts independent and small developers. I understand the intention may be to reduce piracy, malware, or improve security. However, raising entry barriers risks weakening the very ecosystem that made Android strong in the first place. Innovation depends on accessibility and low compliance costs. Also, Google Play Store has been historically ineffective regarding security issues on their own marketplace. Restrictive distribution policies can also create unintended consequences. When official channels become too restrictive or expensive, users may turn to unofficial modifications like rooting or other system-level workarounds. That does not improve security — it may actually increase fragmentation and vulnerability. Even Microsoft never needed to impose this level of control on Windows to remain competitive. Decisions like this could accelerate the growth of alternative Linux-based operating systems and, over time, undermine Android’s dominance in the global market. "

João, 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

"We have the right to use our phones as we like. DON'T BREAK OUR FREEDOM "

Ferdari, change.org

"One of the main reasons i bought a Android device was to sideload apps, but now with this update, it seems as if I should have got an Iphone instead. ��� "

Aarav, change.org

"This has always been absurd. Android was always sold and promoted as free software, a portable computer for free use, with users taking on their own risks most of the time (always, really). Then Google started restricting it, making it harder and harder to take responsibility for installing apps outside their store. How does a company that owns Android think it has the right to force users to only use its system, no questions asked? Beyond the issue for developers, this is straight-up authoritarianism. The software was always free even though it came from Google, but in recent years Google has started with this nonsense. For what reason? It’s annoying for everyone — from the average user who just wanted to make some basic system tweaks, to the developer who relies on this as a source of income. I sincerely hope from the bottom of my heart that something gets done and this gets resolved. I’ve always been an Android user. "

Adenildo, change.org

"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

"Keep google free and open to use third party apps and app stores. "

Robert, change.org

"It is and has always been important to be able to install an app. Countless times I get an app update that breaks something and I have to downgrade to the old version until it is fixed. This simple and necessary fix will not be possible if APKs are limited. "

Michael, change.org

"Android was meant to be competion for apple an OPEN SOURCE it's what made android better and not a closed system like the competitor. Read the room Google! "

Jesse, change.org

"Android providing more freedom than any other OS has been it's drawing point for ages. The fact that that is being taken away for the sake of a corporation's whims is absolutely disgusting, and I would see no reason to continue supporting it. The fact that google believes it has absolute authority to filter content is frankly abhorrent, and it would provide no difference between android and any other OS. "

Guadalupe, change.org

"I choose to use android for the freedom. If thry implement this in such a way that hinders that, I will no longer have a reason to pick android over iPhone. Guess I will see how this plays out. "

James, change.org

"Now we cant even test our own projects on android without licking the boots of microslop "

William, change.org

"Might as well be an iPhone at this point. The whole point of Android was customization, and this kills that. Do better Google. "

William, change.org

"People who choose Android over Apple do so because Android offers the freedom to install apps freely and develop apps as a hobby. I think that if they remove access to APKs, I'll switch to Apple, and I think most people will do the same. "

Alexis, change.org

"Way to get people Ungoogling "

Martin Moe, change.org

"By implementing mandatory developer registration in September 2026, Google is fundamentally betraying the core promise of Android as an open ecosystem. This shift towards a restrictive, gatekeeper model breaks user trust, kills anonymous innovation, and signals that Android is no longer about user freedom, but rather total corporate control. This is the end of the open platform I chose to support. I urge Google to reverse course it is not too late. The path we are heading on is a very dark one . If you carr only about money you should consider how much money you will lose from this.. I will be leaving Googles ecosystem entirely from chrome, to gemini, to android . I Have been with Google since the beta invites of Gmail but this direction I cannot support and WILL not. Apple would be smart to take advantage of this and capture a gigantic portion of your marketshare. I know I will be using my iphone instead of my s25 ultra. "Don't be evil" - Google But even step you have taken is from greed and control. Which is evil. You have betrayed the very people who made you who you are. "

Michael, change.org

"#NoMoreCorruption "

Russell, change.org

"I just spent $2000 on Samsung devices to break out of the Apple ecosystem because I'm tired of being locked down, and then I hear about this. Incredibly disappointing, I guess if they go through with this then I'll head back to iPhone after this, since nothing will set Android apart anymore. "

Kat, change.org

"This is an authoritarian play by Google to regulate their customers (aka a huge percentage of the public) not by national law but by their own personal whims on what's "best" for their corporation and shareholders. It undermines a customer's right to modify their products how they want, and instills power to themselves to govern essentially all software that gets developed for non-iOS phones, which is highly unethical and anti-consumer. If this gets implemented I will be selling my phone and switching to a non-android product. "

Nick, change.org

"As a long-time Android enthusiast, I strongly oppose your push to force developer ID verification for APK sideloading. This policy erodes the open ecosystem that drew millions to Android, blocking access to legacy apps, region-locked content, and custom tools from sources like F-Droid. Under the guise of security, it stifles innovation and user freedom. Please reverse this immediately and honor Android's roots in choice and accessibility. "

Lucas, change.org

"Boydan girmek lazım "

Said, change.org

"Intelectual property is a disgrace! If what Google is trying to do is normalized it will eventually reach other OSes and it could kill game preservation via emulation. Not only that, they are also trying to normalize putting ridiculous restrictions to the freedom of the developers which could eventually kill open-source or at least make it unimaginably worst! "

Guilherme, change.org

"This is not just a threat for programmers and startups but a threat to existing programmers/Co's. they intend to possibly blacklist. No different conceptually than the game they are playing against journalists currently as we have all seen being done. Accepting this type of centralized control says you support fascism and censorship type tactics and exploitative mechanisms that create monopolies at it's core roots. "

Eric, change.org

"The whole reason Android is popular is because it's open source. By locking away sideloading and forcing developers to verify themselves, what difference is there between this and iOS, which is starting to allow sideloading of apps? "

Ruben, change.org

"Google needs to stop monopolizing Android access "

Allen, change.org

"Just another step big tech is taking to take away our rights and freedoms. "

Martin, change.org

"My main reason for not using Apple devices is the 'mommy' factor. Now Google is going to be my mommy too. It's my device. If I accept the risks involved in how I use it, that's my choice - NOT GOOGLE'S! "

Ed, change.org

"It's important to know and clarify that if this significant change is made, it will not only ruin the Android ecosystem, but it will also prevent independent or support projects from providing the necessary support.Google will cause it to fall to a low point where there will be nothing but things getting worse. "

Charly, change.org

"Your ruining the freedom who ever to download what we wanted to do and stop limiting what we like to download from other websites or anything that is legally. "

Gabriel, change.org

"Android making this is just bullshit, the developer thing is just to make more easy to sue devs, and indie games creators that don't want to get near to google greedy ass. It is better they cease and desist "

Michel, change.org

"The entire reason I chose android over apple was the freedom I had to do what I wanted on the device I paid for. Google enforcing this "lock-down" is just shooting themselves in the foot and giving people more reason to give apple a shot. "

Riley, change.org

"The only thing that set Android apart from Apple (and frankly made it objectively better than Apple) is the freedom of control you have over a device you actually own. Removing that ability makes Android no better than Apple, might as well say you don't really own that phone or tablet when you take away such freedoms. "

George, change.org

"Android has always stood for user choice. The freedom to install apps from outside an official store is a core part of what made the platform different and appealing in the first place. Removing options like sideloading moves Android away from its original philosophy. I develop apps for personal use, and I have no interest in becoming an “approved developer” just to run my own software. Not everyone has the time or desire to navigate additional gatekeeping just to maintain control over their own devices. Limiting these freedoms sets a concerning precedent. It shifts the platform toward tighter control, reduced openness, and potential monopolization. Android began as an open operating system — moving away from that foundation risks turning it into a closed ecosystem that mirrors the very model it once differentiated itself from. Restricting user choice under the banner of “protection” doesn’t benefit everyone. Many users value autonomy, flexibility, and control over their own hardware. Removing those options feels less like protection and more like limitation. "

Dennis, change.org

"I really liked android phones cause of the freedom they use to have, but with this... they are the same as Apple so.... there's any reason for me to like Android anymore "

Fabián Jhovany, change.org

"APK being open is the soul reason the market stayed successful. It is a staple of our freedoms, fun, and expression. This is a Trojan Horse that infringes on our right to privacy and freedom of speech. Anyone can access our private information. The time to act is now. "

Ciara, change.org

"Locking down a completely free and open operating system like android only makes the environment more unsafe for the user. Preventing them from having control, and being forced to install service locked bloatware/malware instead of giving the end user control is a pure recipe for disaster. It will be even more prone to incursion, and targeting by malicious entities than if it were left free and open as it has always been. I have always been a massive advocate for 'you buy it, you own it' simply because that's the way it should be, and has always been. If there is no ownership of something in your possession, there's no reason for having it in the first place. "

Chad, change.org

"Android became popular because it offered freedom and customization. Reducing APK access risks moving away from those values and limiting innovation within the ecosystem. We are asking Google to protect user choice, maintain transparency, and preserve the openness that defines Android. "

Assif, change.org

"This is some dirty anti competitive google practice. One of the main reason why people choose android is it's freedom. I'd use a custom rom if my phone supported it(it's a galaxy a04e). Man, i like AOSP, and i really think way mkre people should be using android custom roms for privacy and freedom, because of companies like this, who want to create a monopoly. Android is a good OS, but the company who owns is garbage tbh. So, what i meant is, dont let them continue with those anti competitive practices, havent we had enough of google and big techs dirty practices? "

QByte, change.org

"Sounds good on paper but will only make things way, way worse. They say the main reason they're doing this is for security since you're reportedly more likely to get a virus outside of Google Play than inside, but honestly, that'll only happen if you're irresponsible enough (you're even warned that it's at your own risk and responsibility if you decide to download something outside of GP). Again, sounds good on paper, problem is, by doing this, you'll be unable to download lots of other, virus-free software that are good or can be useful (e.g. gaming emulators or delisted apps), all because it doesn't come from an "approved developer", which would be a huge pain in the ass for millions of people, including me. In my opinion, L update. "

Mario, change.org

"You're forcing us to create an alternative. We live in an age of increasingly powerful AI, we will not let you control everything. "

Anthony, change.org

"The thing that separates an android from an iPhone is the ability to do whatever if they pass this this would kill what it's like to have an android "

Devawn, change.org

"I was really shocked when I heard that such thing is happening. I mean, isn't the point of Android itself to be fully open, especially compared to competitors as iOS? What's so wrong with a person developing apps as their passion/hobby? I don't think it is necessary to have to upload a government ID to a corporation just to make your app be able to be usable. It also impacts me, because I use very many open source apps as alternatives, which fit my usage a lot better, and I like to support those projects, and one more point, many people switching from iOS to Android are looking for the freedom that is sideloading apps without any hurdles. This has to change, or chaos would ensue around the Android world, and especially FOSS communities. "

Arsen, change.org

"One of the things that makes Android special is the freedom it gives developers and users, I hope it doesn't go away. "

Chris, change.org

"If I paid for my device I should be able to do whatever I want with it, you don't own it google I do, and your taking away one of the only reasons I love and use an android. "

Dylan, change.org

"I will dtop uding Android if this is beeing implemented "

Cederick, 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

"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

"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

"You will bury yourselves. "

William, change.org

"Android Freeeeee!! "

Tymmi, change.org

"the staple and main "selling" point of android is how open and free it is. Without that it's no different than any other os. This decision is completely asinine on Google's part. "

Thomas, change.org

"I WANT MY RIGHTS I BOUGHT THE SMARTPHONE! you can add like a warning but dont block. We want older versions of software. #ourtechourrights So many old games i used to play all gone! So many outfit7 games, old minecraft versions, shopkins, angry birds they are at risk even cut the rope "

Edu, change.org

"This is a disturbing move by Google. Side loading needs to remain an option for Android users to choose as an alternative when looking for apps made by developers that are not in the PlayStore. Side loading is also invaluable when wanting to utilise previous versions of apps on an Android device. "

Bruce, change.org

"Stop Google from limiting APK file usage! "

Daniel, change.org

"This one feature is the one thing that has kept me from using iphone, if google proceeds, there will be many people like me that will make the jump because android will have nothing else to offer in comparison, this is bad for everyone not just the ones that use apps outside play store, they really want to kill android brands just like this. I hope they don't commit to this horrible anti consumer change "

Miguel, change.org

"#NoMoreCensorship "

Russell, 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

All references, editorials, press coverage, and videos →

Take Action Full resource list, regulator contacts, links for every country, and how to fight back Open Letter Read the open letter signed by organizations opposing developer verification

You bought your phone.
You should decide what runs on it.

That shouldn't require a 9-step process, a 24-hour wait, and Google's ongoing permission.

Share this page. Don't sign up. Don't let them close Android.