Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
↓What Google is doing
In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting September 2026, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.
Registration requires:
- Paying a fee to Google
- Agreeing to Google's Terms and Conditions
- Surrendering your government-issued identification
- Providing evidence of your private signing key
- Listing all current and all future application identifiers
If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.
Who this hurts
You
You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.
Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.
Independent developers
A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. After September 2026, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.
F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".
Governments & civil society
Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."
Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door
Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:
- Delve into System Settings, find Developer Options
- Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
- Dismiss scare screens about coercion
- Enter your PIN
- Restart the device
- Wait 24 hours
- Come back, dismiss more scare screens
- Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
- Confirm, again, that you understand "the risks"
Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.
Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.
This is bigger than Android
If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.
The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.
Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
But wait, isn't this...
"...just about security?"
The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.
"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"
Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.
"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"
Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.
"...the same thing Apple does?"
Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.
"...just $25 and some paperwork?"
Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.
Fight back
Everyone
- Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
- Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
- Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
- Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
- Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
- Read and share our open letter
- Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do).
Developers
Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.
Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
- Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
- Add the FreeDroidWarn library to your apps to warn users.
- Run a website? Add the countdown banner.
Google employees
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.
All those opposed…
70 organizations from 22 countries have signed the open letter
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Italian Linux Society ils.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
FUTO futo.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Proton AG proton.me
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
F-Droid f-droid.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Brave brave.com
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Techlore techlore.tech
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
iodé iode.tech
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
April april.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org What they're saying
Tech press
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"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
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"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
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
Editorials & analysis
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
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
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."
Brave
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
YouTubers & creators
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."
Techlore – YouTube
"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
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"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
"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
"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 keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
Developers & community
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."
BatteryMountain, Hacker News
"Google'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
"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
"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
"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 now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, 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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, 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
"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
"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
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, 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
"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
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"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
"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
"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
"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."
jzb, Lobsters
"The 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
"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 open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"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
Voices from the petition
"There should be a clear flow for users to install any software they want. And there needs to be a strict policy in place so that google wont just make change in future to reverse there actions "
Amrinder, change.org
"I've always like Google for supporting open source. If Google doesn't not support open source who will? Come Google please keep being advocate of open source. I don't mind all the tracking Google does as long as they support open source "
allan, change.org
"The ability to download apps directly from developers is one of the main differentials of Android from IOS. Limiting this will severely impact the market share of Android by removing basically any reason anyone would want to use Android over IOS. "
gabriel, change.org
"Freedom to download and install whatever you want is one of the main reasons people choose AndroidOS over apple products. With how Apple has made steps towards more sustainable hardware, it is getting less and less justifiable to continue using google products. "
Antonio, 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
"The new requirements have really killed my motivation to develop apps. I do not want to provide any personal information to big tech companies. The reason I want to work on FOSS is that I don’t want to give up my privacy, and this new policy is undermining that. These requirements will never create a truly safe and secure OS. Criminals can obtain government-issued IDs through the dark web or by scamming others. The only people being blocked are those who intend no harm at all. Please don’t lock down the ecosystem. "
kam kee, change.org
"Absolute nonsense from Google, the flexibility of the Android OS has been the only thing differentiating it from Apple products and keeping me in this ecosystem. Each "update" is just another layer of restrictions at this point. With current market prices and the state that Google is developing android, I might as well just buy a laptop instead of a flagship android. "
Pwon, 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
"Promote Foss and let's talk about the next phone OS "
james, change.org
"Boa noticia "
Kleberson, change.org
"Keep android open "
Charlotte, change.org
"As a CS Professional and recent CS Grad, the flexibility for Android to allow us to share hobby project apps with friends and family who also use Android is a vital part of the learning experience and what makes Android unique. Requiring paid verification based on government ID will have a stifling effect that will make Android loose the open nature that set it apart from Apple, which has been key to its success for many upcoming CS Students, and for many hobbiests that often lead to professional paths. "
Kyler, change.org
"Locking down the ability to use APKs and other applications outside of the "approved" developers app is a great way to snub creativity and only allow "state sponsored" media on the device that is on your person 24/7. Having the ability to manipulate MY DEVICE that I paid for should be an absolute capability of each device we are expected to carry for years. "
Alex, change.org
"google, it is not your job to parent any user on what they wish to do with the items they purchase. No one wants your control and no one asked. "
Kyi, 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
"How Google came about to be the say all of android is probably by phone users lazyness to learn or try other Interfaces then the default paid preinstalled apps.. "
Chris, change.org
"If you break android in this way, we will go elsewhere, and more code will be written, more avenues gone down and new ways to sidestep your control and ditch your software will emerge. You can't win, but you can lose. "
Daniel, change.org
"When I'm bored, I don't look through the play store - it's full of ads and mind-numbing time wasters. Instead, I look through f-droid, which is full of solo developer apps designed to actually be useful and solve a problem. Maybe a problem unique to that one developer, but it's always interesting to look at. We flock to Android because apple doesn't let us side-load. Why take away something that is core to many users experience and has only limited security problems? We all know this isn't about security, it's about control. It's my phone, let me do what I want with it. (And don't even get me started about Android's rollback "protection" >:( ) "
Spencer, change.org
"What happened to not being evil? "
Scott, change.org
"Hi, I've been using an android phone for over a decade and, like the computers I grew up with, I've been able to choose which operating system to install and where I get my apps/programs from too. There are currently a number of app stores, beyond those provided by Apple and Google. Sadly, Google has decided (https://developer.android.com/developer-verification) to use their near-monopoly position in the android market to engage in blatantly anti-competitive behaviour by requiring app developers to register with Google. Google is trying to sell this as a "security" but this "security" marketing ploy not convincing nor does it tell the whole story. Further, having put an arbitrary barrier to competition, Google has decided to charge app developers for the "privilege" of having the app on android - where previously there was no such fee (https://keepandroidopen.org/). Google has stated they will begin this from September 2026, so action is needed promptly. As an Australian, I recall the time in 2021 when Google threatened to remove it's search engine from Australians (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-55760673 and https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/inside-google-s-mothballed-plans-to-quit-search-in-australia-20231108-p5eil7) and when Google threatened to sue the Australian government in 2025 (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/google-threatens-to-sue-if-youtube-is-included-in-australias-kids-social-media-ban/axud666av). Happily, we have not responded to their threats. This is another time to stand up, exercise our national sovereignty and make companies that operate in Australia, abide by applicable Australian legislation. Multi-nationals, like Google, are no exception. "
Colin, change.org
"Open APK usage is literally the only reason I switched to Android in the first place "
John, change.org
"APKs CANNOT be ripped away from us. "
Twily, change.org
"Android livre! "
Wanderson, change.org
"Android’s intended purpose has always been to be an open, permissionless operating system. By requiring developer "verification" to install apps, Google is turning a personal device into a corporate-controlled appliance. I oppose this policy because: Ownership: I bought the hardware; I should decide what software runs on it without a "gatekeeper." Privacy: Forcing independent developers to "dox" themselves to Google kills anonymous, pro-privacy innovation. Freedom: Sideloading must remain a right, not a privilege granted by a Google-controlled ID system. Keep Android open. Don't build a walled garden. "
Jordan, change.org
"This is the only reason android is better than android "
David, 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
"This will effectively remove the android edge over apple. Modifying my phone is the main reason I choose not just android but GOOGLE PIXEL phone and accessories. Literally a huge market mistake. Signed by android consumer and advocate... "
Michael, change.org
"Google is about to further close down Android, which isn't good at all. If anything, it's going to hurt everyone, and furthermore, what if others start to copy them and lock down their ecosystems in a similar manner? For example, what if Microsoft starts locking down Windows app dev like Google is locking down Android app dev, and starts restricting sideloading exes? "
Joshua, change.org
"Android was always marketed as an operating system where you could create applications freely and without problems; seeing the shift to a closed operating system is discouraging for small developers and an attack on user freedom. "
Enzo, change.org
"I've been an android user since I got my first smartphone a galaxy 3, I've been extremely happy with the amount of peronality I can add to my phone and I've stuck with the android platform because of it. This move towards locking away the freedom to create apps without the oversight of google is a disturbing and should be stopped. Google, please stop this, be the better company, don't become Apple. Be the voice of freedom. "
Sean, change.org
"As a consumer, I bought and use Android platform devices because I care about my privacy and I care about accessing third-party applications that are not strictly on Google's Play Store. I utilize F-Droid and various other third-party app stores, and this would be a major impediment to me. I did not agree to Google pulling the rug from beneath me well after I bought several thousand dollar Android phones and devices. "
Stephen, 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
"Just another horrible move from Big Tech companies to further control the rate of which Technology can advance. The only thing I enjoyed about Android - it being very open source and developer friendly - but now that it is being threatened, maybe I should start rallying towards buying ACTUAL Open-Sourced Tech instead of prioritizing capital gain instead of Technical Advancements. "
Aaron, change.org
"We own the phones so we should be able to do whatever we want with them. Waiting a short period is not the way to do it. This feels like control and blocks. We are not kids. Please let us actually have control of our phones. "
nicholas, change.org
"This is wrong! Taking freedom away from people isn't the same as making them safe! If this happens there will be no reason left to stay on android... "
Arya, change.org
"Liberdade ao Android! "
Guilherme, change.org
"Android was once the pinacle of freedom, not letting that stay in the past "
Juan, change.org
"As a lifelong Android user and now a beginner developer, I say this is nothing more than an attempt to turn Android into an iPhone 2. You're not protecting anyone, and this seems more like the beginning of an Android monopoly. An open-source system shouldn't have this kind of restriction/censorship, much less force developers to identify themselves and pay fees for beta apps. It shouldn't have a single store. This decision to act against consumers and developers will have very serious negative consequences. After all, when I choose to buy an Android, I choose it for the freedom it gives me and the variety of stores and places where I can download programs that aren't on the Play Store, whether games or development programs. Nobody chooses an Android for its features, much less for the Google system. We choose it because we want the freedom to do what we want with what we buy with our money, taking full responsibility for what we download. Because if I wanted a centralized store with no freedom whatsoever, I would buy an iPhone. "
Sophya, change.org
"I've been an Android user since 2.1 on my LG Ally in 2010. In all that time I've used a single iOS device and ran straight back to Android for one major reason: Control. Android offered a level of control over my own device that Apple simply did not. Unfortunately, over the last several years Google has decided it prudent to strip away the "privelage" of using my device how I see fit. With each new update, Android becomes more similar to the locked-down iOS platform that I shied away from. With this detestable update, why would I stick with Android? If Android becomes a less privacy-focused iOS, why would I not simply migrate back to Apple's platform? "
Nathaniel, change.org
"We should be allowed to do what we want with the tools that we buy. "
kevin, change.org
"We suffer from a dissociative disorder and one the only possible disability aid for it is not on the app store. If we lose access to this aid, our life is functionaly over. Either make it easier to put apps on the play store or knock it off. "
Isaiah, change.org
"Pure authoritarian control tendency barely even trying to disguise itself as caring for the consumers security. "
Jared, change.org
"Android has long been the operating system that has allowed customization and freedom. It's the bedrock on why I use the platform. Taking away the ability to use FOSS and alternative sources just kills what makes Android Android for me. At that stage I might as well give in and get a blue bubble and better base privacy. Super disappointed in this direction. "
Jacob, change.org
"Google is already a monolithic company, now they are shutting out any developers and apps that don't conform to whatever arbitrary requirements they decide. Allow people the right to choose their own apps "
Jensen, change.org
"Android's open nature is extremely important to the mobile space and limiting it would be actively detrimental. Educate users instead of taking away options. "
Bradley, change.org
"Freedom to install apps not verified by Google is one the main reasons to choose android over IOS. And claims that it's for security is BS. There are plenty of malicious apps on the playstore anyways, and this is going to lead to people who don't necessarily know what they're doing doing things like rooting their device, unaware of the risks. Besides, why is it any of Google's business what apps I install on a device I purchased? "
Cliff, change.org
"I'll repeat what I have seen many other say. It's not "sideloading", it's installing. It's not "making sure you only get what we know is good", it's a digital company town. We already pay for every aspect of our time on this earth. The fact that they want to make it so you can't go anywhere but them? It's a giant flashing LED sign that says monopoly. And I say to not let it happen, for privacy, for ownership, for the right to do what we want with the stuff we buy. "
Benjamin, change.org
"Let's go! Google can be based if we all pray together. "
james, change.org
"Android has always been an open platform. It needs to stay an open platform. There are already security features in place to keep less experienced users from installing apps from unknown sources. There's absolutely no reason to shut out independent developers just because they don't want to give Google their money or personal information; or to keep users from installing any app that they want. "
Jose, change.org
"WHAT GOOGLE IS DOING WITH ANDROID IS A BIG SCAM AND WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. LET'S ADVANCE THIS PETITION MORE AND MORE UNTIL THEY GIVE UP ON THIS IDEA. SHARE THIS PETITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DONATE MONEY SO THAT MORE AND MORE ANDROID USERS SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS CASE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!!! "
Matheus, change.org
"We need to stop Google controlling us. "
Carmen, change.org
"I have used android since the begining and the entire reason ive stuck with it (and this has been getting VERY hard lately with all the locking down of android, version by version, more and more like iOS).. this would just be the nail in the coffin for android, for me.. I'd rather daily drive graphene or a very limited linux os than this. Really a shame though when you talk people into using android and all the reasons people choose to switch are being removed. This is something im a single issue voter on, I will cease all google/yt/gemini/etc subscriptions and use the day I can't sideload any app I please.. and this is a complete change for the device, so massive of a change (would have directly affected many of my purchases) that I dont get how they can just do it, literally the stuff that made it special they choose to gut.. "
Joshua, change.org
"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
"If android truly blocks what are some of my favorite apps from developers I trust, I will no longer be using "smart" phones without root. It'll be graphine or flip phones, I promise you. "
R, change.org
"F droid is my primary way of installing apps. Blocking sideloading will fundamentally change how I use my phone, and make it impossible for me to use my phone in the way that I have for years. "
T, change.org
"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
"I use apk's for work don't ban apk "
Binyomin, change.org
"As someone who writes and uses my own APKs to make my device even more useful to me, this lockdown would be a deal breaker for my use of the Google Android platform "
Luke, change.org
"Google’s move to restrict APK file usage is a direct attack on user freedom and device choice. Installing apps outside the Play Store has always been a vital part of Android’s openness, it empowers users, developers, and innovation itself. This change tightens Google’s grip on the Android ecosystem and undermines the freedom that has defined the platform from the start. We, strongly oppose this limitation. Android was built on openness and user control not corporate gatekeeping. We call on Google to preserve the right to install and manage APK files freely. "
Howard, change.org
"Google needs to stop this. Collecting data in general is terrible "
Wojciech, change.org
"With the rising price of X86 hardware, ARM devices may be the future of personal computing, but that won't happen if Google smothers development for the largest operating system for ARM based hardware. I should be able to run a program on my machine without the developer needing to pay a fee to Google and dox themselves. "
Dwight, change.org
"I got an Android specifically to be able to get apps from third party developers. This level of censorship is not right, and will hurt many independent developers "
Caspian, change.org
"Android had one advantage over iPhone, that you owned the product that you purchased via being able to download software of which you please. Ruining this feature will not only hurt consumer rights, but will drive many people away. "
Anthony, change.org
"Google, go rethink your choices! what is wrong with companies nowadays?!?! "
am, change.org
"Closing off the ability for the average consumer to engage with their device on their terms is outright dystopian and also part of why so many younger people struggle with computer literacy. "
Joseph, change.org
"If Android becomes closed like iOS there's no reason to keep using it. "
Emanuel Victor, change.org
"Someone alert the attorney's on the ongoing case with Epic Games that Google found a way to try and skirt court orders. I'm sure the judge will be extremely pleased to have been ignored, as they make this change and claim it's somehow not the opposite of what they were told to do. "
Nicholas, change.org
"LEAVE ANDROID ONLY PLEASE "
Chapo, 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
"Freedom requires the ability for us to harm ourselves if we so choose. We own the devices we buy and should not be required to only go through people Google allows. This is an unacceptable policy when it's my device. "
Matthew, change.org
"Google’s strength has always come from the openness of the Android ecosystem. At its core, Android is built on the philosophy of open source—freedom, flexibility, and user control. Limiting APK file usage directly contradicts that foundation. The ability to install applications from any source is not a flaw in the system; it is one of its defining advantages. It empowers developers to distribute their work independently, allows users to maintain control over their own devices, and fosters innovation outside of centralized gatekeeping. Removing or restricting this capability undermines the very principles that made Android successful in the first place. Open source is not just about access to code. it is about freedom of choice. When users and developers can no longer decide how and where software is installed, the platform shifts away from openness toward control. That change does not simply affect APK files; it reshapes the entire identity of the ecosystem. Developers rely on this openness to experiment, distribute, and build without unnecessary barriers. Many tools, apps, and communities exist specifically because Android allows installation outside of a single controlled marketplace. Restricting APK usage risks alienating the very developers who contribute to the platform’s growth and diversity. It is also important to recognize that users expect a level of ownership over their devices. When someone purchases a device, they expect to decide what software runs on it. Limiting APK installation sends the message that users do not fully control their own hardware, which can erode trust. Policies that restrict openness often face strong resistance because they conflict with the expectations that have been established over time. The Android ecosystem grew precisely because it was different; because it allowed freedom where others imposed limits. Moving away from that principle risks not only developer dissatisfaction but also a loss of identity. Maintaining support for APK installation is not just a technical decision; it is a commitment to the philosophy that built the platform. Preserving that openness ensures continued innovation, trust, and engagement from both developers and users. If Android is to remain true to its roots, it must continue to support the freedom that defines open source: freedom to build, freedom to distribute, and freedom to choose. "
Matthew, change.org
"I didn't sideload an app on my phone. I installed software on my handheld computer (phone). I own my device, not Google. This overreach of only being able to install Apple, Google, or Microsoft apps and nothing else is likely to spread to our personal computers if it is not stopped now with our phones. Google Play already protects from malware on the phone no matter where an app was installed from. This is NOT about security and lowering risk. "
Amber, change.org
"Google is not tuff for ts "
John, change.org
"let's go, ! Keep Android alive! "
jorge, change.org
"Ive used exclusively Android for years because of the freedom it gives its users. Such a wonderful community of developers and users that I know everyone would mourn if it went away. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! "
Alora, change.org
"I am a lifelong android user who uses 3rd party apps and would lose much of the functionality of how I use my phone if this update goes through. I would likely stop using the app store and use platforms like F-Droid even more. "
Emily, change.org
"Keeping android open would be doing the right thing, if that is still the motto google believes in among hopefully not doing evil. I would hate to see the platform that prided itself on being open and lending itself to it's community of users and manufacturers, betray the very reason it built up the strong and varied ecosystem it is today. I would like strongly urge those in power of this decision to reconsider, not as a threat, but to see the something great, remain great. "
Kyle, change.org
"The selling point of Android has always been freedom, in contrast to Apple's centralized ecosystem. I use Android because it allows me to tailor my experience to my wants and needs rather than what a big corporation decided that I need. I like supporting small creators and developers, which will be made increasingly more difficult with such a barrier to app creators. If you turn into Apple, there is no more reason to choose Android. You will just be another form of unnecessary censorship and limitation. "
Jackson, change.org
"At one point in time, IOS allowed side loading, which is how I was able to play emulators on my iPod back then. Now, much of what I remember being allowed to do is either behind a paywall, or outright prevented. I (we)moved on to Android to escape those restrictions. Don't let Android turn into IOS, and keep your identity from being stolen! "
Alexander, change.org
"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
"This is really bad, Google needs to keep the OS open "
Mark, change.org
"I use Android over iOS specifically for the ability to install the applications I want in the way I want. If I can't do that, I might as well not use an Android phone. "
Jeremy, change.org
"Google, this accomplish two things: 1/ This will limit privacy respecting apps to those of us who run degoogled OSs. 2/ More people will flash degoogled OSs onto their phones. Do you really want less data coming in to monetize? Your call. "
Scott, 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
"It starts with this. "
Jenna, change.org
"I don't think that we should be filtered into buying something we do not want. Something as simply as a weather app should be free, news should be free, but the services that's being offered in app stores as free is usually filled with ads that leak personal information. "
Andre, change.org
"This is not only concerning or invasive. It's unjust, deceitful and abusive. Once you break this trust, they can AND WILL control every aspect of the software chain. Not even casual users will be safe then. "
Jesse, change.org
"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
"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
"I've been using APKs ever since I got my first phone, and now, it's an indispensable part of my life. Things I downloaded, games that I played that would be lost to time because the very people who made them forgot about them, things I watched, all those experiences... How can one take it away from us? We want our freedom. So what if we may be downloading viruses and having our data stolen? It's our choice, and it's nothing to be worried about by other people. And in my experience, there aren't as many viruses in the internet as people think. I know that I never got one. If APKs are gone, my main sources of entertainment — the things that kept me alive all this time by brightening up my days — they will be gone too. So, this cannot happen. This can't go on. I need my APKs. And I will not stop fighting for their existence, because they are a valuable part of my existence. - The Meteor "
João Pedro, change.org
"This is my device, that i paid my hard earned money for. No one should be able to tell me what i can and can't install on something that I own. "
Arnold, change.org
"The openness of the Android is its unique selling point. Keep Android open to keep Android Android. "
John, change.org
"I think that there should be access to install whatever you want on YOUR device, and use it how you want to. "
Jamison, change.org
"APKs are the lifeblood of Android's open ecosystem. They let developers distribute apps outside the Play Store, free from Google's 30% cut and arbitrary takedown policies. They give users in underserved regions access to apps unavailable in their country's store. They power the emulation community, open-source projects, and beta testers who help improve software before it reaches the masses. When Google restricts APK usage through warnings, permission walls, or outright blocks, it quietly dismantles the very openness that made Android worth choosing over iOS in the first place. It punishes legitimate users for the sins of bad actors, while determined bad actors find workarounds anyway. "
AJ, change.org
"Don't let Google shut down Android, let your voice be heard! "
Gustavo, change.org
"APPLE wAS GONE LONG AGO NOW WHERE WILL WE GO? "
henry, change.org
"Google can't do whatever it wants with Android. I paid for Android precisely for the freedom. If I wanted to stay in a closed system, I would have bought an iPhone. '-' "
Sandro, change.org
"a recently convicted monopolist extorting developers and committing further anticompetitive behavior? not in my pocket it's not. "
Marc, change.org
"Android is the mobile embodiment of freedom. Central registration with any organization is the absolute end to that freedom. This must be stopped. "
Elvira, change.org
"I originally chose android so I can learn and make things with apk packages, modify my phone and practice security and privacy. Also to break away from the apple cult. If google goes through with it, that'll betray myself and so many others who feel the same. "
Christopher, change.org