Your phone is about to stop being yours.

134 days until lockdown

Starting in 2027*, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.

Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.

What Google is doing

In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting in 2027, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.

Registration requires:

If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.

Who this hurts

You

You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.

Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.

Independent developers

A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. In 2027, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.

F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".

Governments & civil society

Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.

The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."

Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door

Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:

  1. Delve into System Settings, find About Phone
  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

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

Read the full open letter and thank the signatories →

What they're saying

Tech press

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

The Register

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

SlashGear

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

It's FOSS News

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

Infosecurity Magazine

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

Reclaim The Net

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

Tom's Guide

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

Thom Holwerda, OSnews

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

Ars Technica

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

Datamation

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

How-To Geek

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

Open Source For U

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

Tom's Guide

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

Hackaday

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

Techzine EU

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

Android Headlines

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

How-To Geek

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

Gizmochina

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

Ars Technica

"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"

XDA Developers

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

Android Police

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

MakeUseOf

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

Slashdot

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

TechCrunch

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

Android Headlines

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

Cybernews

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

9to5Google

"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"

Techdirt

"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"

How-To Geek

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

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

How-To Geek

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

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

How-To Geek

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

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

The Register

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

Tuta Blog

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

heise online

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

Android Headlines

"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"

TechRepublic

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

I-Programmer

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

TechSpot

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

The Verge

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

Bleeping Computer

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

How-To Geek

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

Editorials & analysis

Organizations & open letters

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

F-Droid

"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."

European Parliament

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

Tuta

"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."

KDE

"A 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

"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

"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

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

AdGuard

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

F-Droid

"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

"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

"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

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

Osservatorio Nessuno

"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

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

ACLU

"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

"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

"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

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

Tech-ish Kenya

"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

"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

"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."

Infosecurity Magazine

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

F-Droid Open Letter

"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

"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

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

AdGuard

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

F-Droid

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

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

YouTubers & creators

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

fireborn – Blog

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

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

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

fireborn – Blog

"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 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

"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

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

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."

Techlore – YouTube

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

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

Tuta Blog – Blog

"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

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

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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

"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

"Android has become what they set out to destroy."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube

"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"Google 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

"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 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

"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

Developers & community

"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

"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."

askonomm, Hacker News

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

Apocryphon, Hacker News

"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."

1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy

"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

"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

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

lynxy, Tildes

"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

"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

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

hn92726819, 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

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

gcupc, Lobsters

"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

"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

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

survirtual, Hacker News

"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."

chaznabin, Reddit

"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

"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

"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

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

vala, Lemmy

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

MrZander, 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

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

nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News

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

flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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

"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

"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."

masterofn001, Lemmy

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

layfellow, Hacker News

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

tejtm, Hacker News

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

gumby271, Hacker News

"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."

Zak, Hacker News

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

anordal, Lobsters

"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

"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

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

Tiraon, Tildes

"It is a disgrace how Google has managed this situation. The promised 'advanced flow' hasn't appeared in any Android 16 or 17 betas. Google is quietly proceeding with the original lockdown."

fermigier, Hacker News

"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

"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

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

BenjaminRi, 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

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

Zak, 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

"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."

koala, Lobsters

"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

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

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

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

hbn, Hacker News

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

afferi300rina, 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

"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

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

TheTearMiser, Lemmy

"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."

pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters

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

WaffleMonster, Slashdot

"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

"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

"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

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

Max-P, Lemmy

"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

"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

Voices from the petition

"You are now a 0. "

İbrahim, change.org

"I think it is a slap in the face for users and developers alike. "

Timothy, change.org

"As the market stands the whole point of having an Android device over an iPhone is that you have more freedom over your device. Android is secure. Any claim that this change is for security is a farce. Unwitting users are not downloading random malicious APKs and then clicking through warnings to install them. It just is a non-existent problem. This change is about Google seizing power for personal gain. It's remarkably short sighted and foolish. If they're going to get rid of developer and subsequently user freedom then there's no reason to stay with Android/Google. I don't like Apple, but they already do security and privacy better and are in all other ways comparable. Google has had no claim to any kind of morality for quite some time, but with this move they are now so greedy and so stupid that they're actively working against their own interests. "

Steven, change.org

"Independent application distribution and creation is incredibly important and is one of the core reasons that I use Android over Apple devices. It's fine to prefer users access apps from a controlled "safe" store, but eliminating the possibility of installing outside applications is definitely not okay. There's no reason for this other than greed both monetary and data Creed. This is not okay for Google to do. "

Brandon, change.org

"This would be removing a key benefit of android over apple. Having control over what is on your device should be a given to owning it as your personal property, and Google shouldn't have a say in what is and isn't allowed on your phone in any circumstance "

Ethan, change.org

"Without Youtube Revanced on my android phone in september 2026 i have to use official youtube and i hate it when google wants to make more money and everything and will have to kill the apk files ive enjoyed for a long time, even lucky patcher app owners will have to use their money on their favorite app to waste money and so much more...and by the news of the google update it makes me upset and angry about it. Im standing up to prove who i am and will be using youtube revanced app instead of official youtube app for people like me, i will never give up and will protest with other android users who are against google for our glory. #FreeAndroid #JusticeForAndroid #MakeGoogleGoneForever "

Leland, change.org

"ts bullshit fr fr ive been tinkering with Android for a long long long time now and its part of the reason im even into tech so much. the sheer amount of freedom Android allows is truly amazing and so help me god if they take it away "

silly, change.org

"If Google does this I will move to iOS. If given a choice for locked down mobile OS I feel safer with Apple. And the way the world is going with all the horrible AI etc.. and corporate control of our lives I will take the lesser of two evils. At least with Apple you can OPT out of Apple intelligence during setup with iPhone just like with Mac OS which I recently went to after MS's windows 11. I'm pretty pessimistic about this change and realize that I will likely be purchasing my first iPhone in the end of the year. "

Trent, change.org

"I have been a supporter of Android since release in 2008 precisely because it is an open market. What I choose to put on hardware I own should be my decision, not a big brother acting like a babysitter. This action by Google is simply eroding my good will for them. We need to be able to do what we please with our devices. "

Anthony, change.org

"While thinking walled garden is a way to milk customers even more when you already collecting , selling , sharing the customer's data even tho the customers already paid for the device , services already. You are basically taking away and ignoring the customer's autonomy and disrespecting us all. "

ilayda, change.org

"The open source nature of Android and the AOSP community has made it easier than ever to delve into the world of Linux development at ones own pace, which is an extremely useful skill in the IT space. Especially for those without the local community, resourcee, and funds to pursue a formal/traditional education. "

Aidan, change.org

"I do not agree with Google's decision to limit my personal choices about the device I paid for. I bought my phone under the impression I was allowed to use whatever software I choose, but with these restrictions, I feel betrayed and used. I may as well stop using Android phones if it's just going to be another Apple. "

Sabrina, change.org

"are we really trying to iOs android? why are we trying to be the competition? if this occurs, android will LOSE so many users "

Ronin, change.org

"Please keep android open!!! That's why I have an android phone in the first place. "

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

"Google doesn't care about people or their privacy "

Adrian, change.org

"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "

Mikka, change.org

"The freedom of android is what makes me not think about moving to another system such as ios, which could be lost depending on what Google decides, the charm of android is this for me. "

José Antônio, change.org

"I have been using Android since I was a wee little lad and for the simple fact that it was mine and I had control over what and who I allowed on my devices. Using the iPoor (iPhones) always had the intrinsic "we at Apple know what's best for you" type of user experience and never got behind it. This cannot pass in in any country. "

Moe, change.org

"We should be allowed to do what we want with the tools that we buy. "

kevin, change.org

"Keep Android open. These changes will hurt accessibility for users, like myself, who rely on open source assistive tools, and should be optional. "

D, 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 support Signature verification for security, but centralised verification is harmful for open Android ecosystem. "

Wenyi, 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 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 you buy a computer, you rightly expect to be able any software, developed by anyone, one that device. Why should phones be any different? This is a shameless power grab by google, and a huge step backwards for user's rights "

Christopher, change.org

"I use Android specifically because it is a more open platform. I develop apps for myself and family members and I have no intention of becoming any kind of approved developer just to continue to do that. This is an absolute bait and switch to the most loyal of Android users and is going to drive many of us to seek out alternative operating systems. And sadly makes me want to de-google my life even further. "

greg, change.org

"Android has always been about freedom and an open option for not only everyday users but developers and artists as well. If Google gets their way this will be a devastating blow to privacy, freedom, independence and how people live their lives. Do not let them get away with this! "

Jonathan, change.org

"I have been an Android evangelist since its very earliest days, driving its adoption by multiple organisations (as well as some very sceptical elderly family members). My admiration for Android has always been founded on the philosophy of open access to customise your device as you see fit. The walled Apple garden is the antithesis of this philosophy, and Google's announcement of a further step to build a similar wall around Android sickens me. Manufacturers - take heed! Google is alienating its most important customer demographic; people who believe, rather reasonably, that their phone belongs to them to do with as they wish. Consider alternatives. "

Dan, change.org

"I don't develop any apps, I do believe in freedom. Freedom to put whatever kind of gas I want in my vehicle(sorry EV's!). Freedom to make make some cash on the side whenever I decide to clean out my storage and have a garage sale. Freedom to choose what apps I can install on a device, running android os which I have rightly paid for. There are other options available Google if helping to keep people safe from running buggy apps on their devices is what you really care about. No need to try and be the app gatekeepers for the future. I pray someone snaps back to reality there before your company proceeds to far down this dark path. "

John, change.org

"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone "

Seth, change.org

"I use android phones and coordinate my digital life using the Google ecosystem. I chose Android/Google because although I loved the iPhone and iOS, I didn't want to use a closed digital environment. I don't "sideload" apps on my phone, just like I don't "sideload" programs on my laptop. I install apps myself, outside of the Google Play Store. I've rooted many of my phones too, for many different reasons. There's nothing illegal going on, I simply want things on my phone to look and function a certain way. When Google takes away my ability to install apps myself in September, it will eliminate it's primary advantage over Apple. When my current phone contract ends I'll buy an iPhone instead of a Samsung or other Android OS phone. There are millions of other people, like myself, that will do the exact same thing. "

John, change.org

"Android has always been free and I get that money and safety is a massive push at the moment especially with the UK ID laws and much more but there has to be another way and if not to scrap this entirely. Everyone knows that android is open and thats alot of the reason people stick to Android and leave Apple and IOS behind. Androids openess has been a key part to my tech Journey and even my brand. Myself and many others would lose neishe apps that make their lives and even businesses possible and effective. KEEP ANDROID FREE. "

Grayson, change.org

"As others have definitely stated along with me, the Android platform was always chosen over Apple because of the freedom it allowed. Creating another oppressive "nanny" based prison environment for customers is not the answer. No "features" or promises of "safety" are worth giving up freedom of a once open OS. "

Jason, change.org

"Let me preface this. Sideloading is *installing a program on a personal computer,* for all that it's phone shaped. You might be used to this behavior from iOS, but even Mac PCs will let you install applications that are unsigned and made by other people, and on the closed-source Windows environment it's still *the main way to get applications,* despite there now being two different official app stores on that platform. Nothing needs to be said about the various Linux/Unix environments. The centralized registration of both apps and developers is not the right approach. It creates a monopoly over who can be an Android developer and will greatly limit the desire to develop apps if it is no longer something that can be done as a hobby but a slow, complicated expense with the requirement to identify oneself. I've done some hobbyist development, but I would not have learned coding if these were the standards I had to meet, and I'd only be losing money. It encourages turning a problem-solving hobby project others might benefit from into a cash grab, or just discourages it entirely. It will in one blow destroy all apps which are no longer maintained, or those who are developed by people who can't or won't escrow their identities with Google, including myself. It also integrates Google's control over the phone even more deeply into how even the phone's software runs, locking these allegedly open devices even more under Google's remote control, and which is already a challenge for makers of de-Googled devices. I strongly suspect it will also become used to apply arbitrary limitations to developers (read the XScreenSaver privacy policy if you'd like to know more) and block many of the tools we currently take for granted, such as those used to root phones. After all, rooting a phone would likely permit installing arbitrary apps, and Google's security model already "distrusts" those devices to the point that they break e.g. banking apps or DRM, so why would they allow something if it conflicts with their security model and they can now control any code that runs on your device? In the end, this WILL be used by Google to permanently remove many people's ability to develop apps on Android at all, likely because those people made tools that provided capabilities Google is not willing to offer or let exist on the free market anymore. The ID requirement will prevent them from creating new accounts and the devices will retroactively block even their installed apps from working while preventing those developers, those _people,_ from making more even on other stores (if other stores even continue existing, given that they would effectively become arms of Google just to have the apps work). "

Russell, change.org

"As a kid, I used to think iPhone, and iOS as a whole, was great. As I thought "people don't need alot of things, they have everything they want." Until I had a Google Pixel 6 Pro for Christmas. It became my tinkering device, and allowed me to access things, I never knew I wanted. And it allowed me to have access things that usually would've costed my family a pretty penny. By forcing verification "

Josue, change.org

"If I wanted a phone that decided what I can and can't do I would have bought an iPhone. "

Tom, change.org

"I understand that piracy is bad and illegal, which is one of the main reasons why android is doing this, but android has always been about customization. having the whole operating system locked down like this is taking away a huge part of why people buy androids, and this takes away our control of our own devices. "

Judah, change.org

"If this update is released, I will switch to iPhone. "

Miguel, change.org

"google take the L "

Miguel, change.org

"The internet should be free for all "

Ev, change.org

"The openness of Android is perhaps one of the greatest features of Android. While many people do not sideload apps, many others do for a variety of reasons. Having the ability to use your own devices as you want want to, is crucial for many people around the world. We have seen many times in the past, that "security" measures like this one do very little to increase security, but restrict users heavily. "

Eric, change.org

"This is ridiculous the fact that google is causing this will effect everybody it's gonna make it way harder for developers to post there apps to specific users. "

Daisuke, change.org

"As an app developer, the last time I sent google my address, they put it on their store page for anyone to see. It was not clear to me that they would do this and it happened without my clear consent. During this time, I was also receiving death threats. I felt unsafe and afraid, and Google's actions directly contributed to my lack of personal safety. I will never trust Google with my personal information again. I would rather just not support Android platform than compromise my privacy and safety. "

Skye, 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

"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the correct move instead Google should be helping ways to improve Android and allow developers to make it better. "

Ava, change.org

"I really like the apps that I have found outside of the Google play store. I would be really upset to lose them and for them to stop working "

Jason, change.org

"If a company wants to be THE company in everyone's life, they better offer something that everyone wants. ...otherwise, give use the freedom to choose something that is. "

Achi, change.org

"Android's open platform is the only counter positioning left before it's just a shittier iPhone. Please don't hand the market to Apple. "

Jesse, change.org

"This issue would directly negatively effect my day to day usage of my android phone, concerns of this issue have resulted in me installing GrapheneOS on my phone to avoid this potentially becoming a reality. "

Kyler, change.org

"Seriously, this can harm game devs/ports (legally) plus every APK is checked if this decision is accepted. "

Leonardo, change.org

"Freedom has not been free. I had to change my name to even talk here without feeling like I am spied on. Let the people be free and happiness shall come, that is all I want to add. "

Fawks, change.org

"this would complete googles monopoly "

Alessandro, change.org

"Protect Android FREEDOM... I’ve used Android for years because it stood for freedom and choice. But lately Google has been making it harder to install APK files apps that come from outside the Play Store. That freedom to choose what I put on my own phone is what made Android different, and it’s slowly disappearing. I’m not a developer or hacker just someone who believes that the device I bought should truly belong to me. I should be able to install safe apps from any source without being blocked or discouraged. This isn’t about breaking rules it’s about keeping control over our own technology. If Google keeps tightening these restrictions Android will lose the openness that made it great. I care because user freedom matters and I don’t want to see it taken away bit by bit. "

Boris, change.org

"Limiting developer and user freedom in the name of "safety" or whatever will only bring Android down to iOS's level. Don't make this mistake, Google! We must keep the right to make and use APKs freely! "

Julian, change.org

"Don't make daddy Torvalds mad what you did with his kernel "

Silas, change.org

"keeping android open enables far more indie studios to continue to operate on android, and thats what i love, i love finding the most random game, and not having to worry about if its on one store or the other, i can just download it keep it open, please "

Evan, change.org

"Android is supposed to be open, as a dirrect counter to Apples closed system. If you continue down this road, we will just make something else. Open source is a powerful community "

Serissa, change.org

"While, I'm not an average user of an Android device, I completely understand the need for programs to be open source and to have the freedom to do whatever you would like with the device that's been bought by you. So to see Google attempt to censor a beloved part of Android for many users? I find myself quite outraged! It's not exactly protection if everyone's data is at risk of being leaked next week, and it would be all thanks to these planned restrictions! "

Marielle, change.org

"Literally the only reason I swapped to android years ago was because it had freedoms that iPhones didn't. I may as well swap back if this is how things are going. "

Robert, change.org

"As a android user and a newbie developer, android OS is famous by the its freedom. Because we can modify our android operating system by our ways,and decided which software I wanted which I needn't. This freedom is the biggest difference between android and IOS and other fake android, which is full of junk ads and virus-like game. However, if we lost freedom on android operating system, the open-source software developer will lose motivation from this platform. That is a horrorible things to the android and the people who beloved with it. "

su, change.org

"As an Android developer myself, putting restrictions on an OS that people use to escape the restrictions of — let's say — iOS is a really bold and unconditional move. "

EXPOSED, change.org

"let's go, ! Keep Android alive! "

jorge, change.org

"Open source projects are important for not just developers, but users too. Any attempt to close android would be bad for people who want to switch to secure alternatives like graphene or lineage, but also bad for android too, as it strips community development and comments which helps improve the OS. "

Nathan, change.org

"This is an absolutely ridiculous move on their part. Nothing but censorship and control these past several months. They'll all burn for it. "

Jeffrey, change.org

"Sim ao Android "

Cristina, change.org

"If this goes through I’m going to apple "

Matt, change.org

"Hey Google. You are a silent cancer. You've engulfed everything in your path for decades: true innovation, billions of unsuspecting people's data, healthy competition, and choice. You've been sued, repeatedly fined, and ordered to break up your monopoly (you haven't), yet you keep metastasizing. I could cite historical, philosophical, religious, even SciFi metaphors of what you are, but "plague" is sufficient. For the love of humanity, if in fact there's anyone left at Plague HQ who still identifies as human, keep your metastatic tentacles off the Android Developer Platform. You've done enough harm already. Signed, The last cancer-free organ you have yet to destroy "

Andromeda, change.org

"Most of the apps I use are not on the play store! "

Samuel, change.org

"Promote Foss and let's talk about the next phone OS "

james, change.org

"As an ex user of legacy iOS devices, I felt so frustrated by the base system that I always had to try overcome limitations through jailbreak. What a fresh breeze it was when I finally switched to android more than a decade ago! The openness and flexibility of the system was, even from a simple user POV, a liberation. Fast forward, we're at an era where being an indie dev is accessible. And when this era is flourishing, you tell me Google wants to lock up all machines relying on its system? This is terrible. We don't want a locked ecosystem. There are plenty already. We want flexibility and keep power in our decisions. Simple. So I'm signing this petition. "

Christopher-Harold, change.org

"I use Android because of the freedom to customize and use my phone the way I want. I don't need Google telling me how to use my phone. "

Deja, change.org

"The entire reason I left the Apple ecosystem and came back to Android is because of the freedom you get with installing any app you want. If Google locks down app installations, there will be zero reason for me to still stay on an Android opereting system. Don't be evil, Google. "

Amirali, 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

"The ability to download external APKs which give my phone some really neat functionality is what prevents me (for the most part) from switching to IOS. Google, please don't take that away from us. At least tell us why you wish to restrict Android. "

D, change.org

"Why did I even buy an android phone?? They think I went iOS to android for no reason? WE WANT IT OPEN! "

David, change.org

"When I was around 13 or 14 I had a real dream to be a coder...I tried to use Google to find a way but found that all of the links were funded by Google and directly discouraged fellow coders...I believed them...now at 22 I refuse to lay down and listen I hope this story hits home for a few people because the coding community is one of the few communities I found I am accepted...do not let Google break this community I am begging you - with all love a fellow coder and human being this is Donald signing off "

donald, 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 can explain why I use Android, and therefore Google services, by the fact that Google used to care about its users, their rights, and their freedom. Although not as much as we would like. After what Google has presented, my phone will soon be no different from an iPhone. I'm not happy about this; I want freedom. I want the freedom to install the apps and APK files I choose, not just the ones I am "allowed" to download. "

Sviatoslav, change.org

"Sideloading is the only thing that separates android from IOS in a meaningful way and to get rid of it destroys the whole point of using android. "

Jacob, change.org

"Please STOP being evil Google-u promised it once but obviously those words were hollow & meaningless so just stop it. "

Steven, change.org

"Google is literally taking away our right. Yes we CAN bypass this with there feature allowing us to install unverified apps but making us wait 24 hours BUT they are going to give our devices a "unsafe" mark stopping banking and many other apps from working the same way they did to ROOTED phones. "

yousef, change.org

"This is going to change android into a half functional game console locked down to anyone who won't kiss the G, a sure sign of drm, not consumer protection. If only google approved apps are allowed, will we only be able to call google approved phone numbers, visit google approved websites, see google approved images, listen to google approved music? We are not google. "

Willem, change.org

"Monopolies are bad for freedom, business, and innovation. Keep Android the phone os where you have the choice to protect your data. "

Thomas, change.org

"Google you suck ass. the whole point of Android is freedom. you're going to destroy so much and anger so many people if you do this 3 do it on pixel n ChromeOS or whatever but leave everything else alone you're ruining something beautiful "

liam, change.org

"Companies have been continually chipping away at our rights as owners to use our property as we see fit. From TVs to cars our ability to freely maintain, use, and expand the features of devices we paid for have been pulled slowly out from under us. This is another slowly driven nail in the coffin of our digital freedom! We need to push back and make it known that we will not continue to tolerate this. "

Donovan, change.org

"Literary the biggest reason why I choose android over apple. If android wants to copy apple this way then there's no reason to stay with android anymore. "

Kytt, 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

"Without users being able yo choose where they get their apps from, smartphones will be a completely locked down means of computing. It does not protect the average user's data, it just makes it so that only the people that Google says can harvest and sell are doing it. They aren't going to vet those people, they're just going to collect their entry fee. "

Nick, change.org

"Turning Android into Google is pathetic "

Scott, change.org

"Control is what made Android different, taking that away would make it no better than Apple and the rest. "

Matthew, change.org

"Android is an open-source system; this restriction will make Android a closed system. I will switch to iPhone if this update is implemented. "

Miguel, change.org

"I love Android for its freedom. Freedom to choose where software/apps are obtained and downloaded from. Its why i switch from apples locked down model to Android. This measure only hurts consumers and the Android community. This will limit the us to 2 locked down eco systems. The douopoly worked because Android was open and we had freedom! "

Salvatore, change.org

"I like an open source because we're not stuck to when we might not. It about prefence. I have never used iOS but this might change my mind. I will look for an alternative to android if this takes place. "

Leoncio, 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

"One of the only reasons I use Android today is because of the openness of the operating system. Without it there is no reason why I would pick an Android phone over an iPhone. Most of the apps I use are not found on the playstore because I like to tinker a lot. I also like to make small applications for myself, my co-workers, and friends. Requiring a fee would completely shut down my ability to create niche apps that I already wouldn't be profiting on. "

LANDON, change.org

"This would kill a big company steam games from haveing app. "

Timothy, change.org

"There are so many useful apps outside of the play store, including medical apps. It would limit us and restrict our freedoms to do as well please with OUR phones. Android began as an alternative to IOS that didn't limit side loading and alternative apps. Android restricting APKs is a violation of what they stand for and our rights as smartphone owners. This cannot happen. "

Lia, change.org

"Sideloading is what keeps Android as a different thing compared to iOS. Taking that away is like making it the same. Worst, decision, ever. "

Marcos Eloy, change.org

"Don't be like Apple "

Tom, 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.