Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Starting in 2027*, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
↓What Google is doing
In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting in 2027, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.
Registration requires:
- Paying a fee to Google
- Agreeing to Google's Terms and Conditions
- Surrendering your government-issued identification
- Providing evidence of your private signing key
- Listing all current and all future application identifiers
If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.
Who this hurts
You
You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.
Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.
Independent developers
A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. In 2027, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.
F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".
Governments & civil society
Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."
Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door
Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:
- Delve into System Settings, find About Phone
- Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
- Dismiss scare screens about coercion
- Enter your PIN
- Restart the device
- Wait 24 hours
- Come back, dismiss more scare screens
- Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
- Confirm, again, that you understand "the risks"
Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.
Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed.
This is bigger than Android
If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.
The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.
Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
But wait, isn't this...
"...just about security?"
The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.
"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"
Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.
"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"
Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.
"...the same thing Apple does?"
Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.
"...just $25 and some paperwork?"
Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.
Fight back
Everyone
- Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
- Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
- Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
- Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
- Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
- Read and share our open letter
- Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do).
Developers
Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.
Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
- Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
- Add the FreeDroidWarn library to your apps to warn users.
- Run a website? Add the countdown banner.
Google employees
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.
All those opposed…
71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Proton AG proton.me
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
GitHub Store github-store.org
Techlore techlore.tech
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
FUTO futo.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
iodé iode.tech
April april.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Italian Linux Society ils.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Brave brave.com
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Cryptee crypt.ee
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org What they're saying
Tech press
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"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 will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
Editorials & analysis
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
"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
"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 proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"Google 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
"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
"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 $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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"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
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
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"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
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."
Brave
"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."
KDE
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
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
"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 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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"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 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
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
YouTubers & creators
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
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
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"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
"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 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 means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
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
"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 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
"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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
Developers & community
"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
"There's an entire genre of scamming where the scammers spend months building rapport with their victims before cashing out. One day is nothing."
free_bip (on the 24-hour wait defeating scammers), Hacker News
"Antitrust action is badly needed. It is ridiculous that I need permission from my device manufacturer to install software on hardware I own."
jim201, Hacker News
"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
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."
fsniper, Hacker News
"If 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
"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
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"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
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Requiring a government ID to distribute software. Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!"
llitz, Reddit
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, 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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."
RUs1729, Slashdot
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
"I still remember how in the early days of Android vs iOS discussions, the main point was 'but it's OPEN!' The word 'open' was used as a comma by Google people. It was The Thing. The Difference. Good vs Evil and all that."
jwr, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
Voices from the petition
"This change would essentially make android comparable to iOS in the sense of the restricted amount of freedom we have over the operating system and how we want the operating system to function. This will also result in a constant battle between new "crackers" trying to find ways to spoof the signature system and Google patching the spoofs to keep the system restricted. This is not for security, this is corporate control over a dominating service they can milk for profit and add to their greed "
Simon, change.org
"I value Android OS as the one alternative we have to the walled garden that is the Apple and its iPhone. Android phones have always been the phones of freedom--the phones you could do anything with, the phones you could customize and tailor to your exact needs. I depend daily on open source android projects run by dedicated volunteers. I'm not a programmer by any means, but even I've written a few small custom programs to run just on my own phone, something I could never do with iOS. To have all this taken away and to make Android as much of a prison as iOS would be a massive blow to consumer freedom, consumer privacy, and, by extension, our ability to communicate freely with those whom we love. "
Daniel, change.org
"The sole reason one would choose Android over Apple was because Android uniquely treated their users as Users, not Customers, or Idiots. To take the very core ethos of what appealed to consumers and destroy it in some short-sighted power-grab is insane. "
Josh, change.org
"At the very least let there be one platform that can stay open, don't close it down like everything else. Let us have this. "
Juno, change.org
"I've relied on a third-party adblocker to disable adverts throughout my entire phone, and pulling this stunt would jeopardise such wishes not to have adverts in literally every single application I use. I do not want the Android OS to become iOS in being unnecessarily strict on sideloading and people's rights to download any apps they want that might not be on the Play Store. Google, you NEED a reality check if you really think being anti-consumer is going to "help" anybody in their lives. "
Finn, change.org
"Keep Android Open "
Timothy, change.org
"I am not a developer, I am just a user, and I think it is very important to say that this does not just affect developers. There is nothing good about locking down an open ecosystem. There is no good reason for Google mandating ID Verification aside from pushing their dominance over Android. This is disgusting, given that Android has always been seen as the free haven away from Apple's walled garden. Now the only way to achieve freedom is by using a fork of Android, which will become harder and harder as Google inevitably enforces locked bootloaders. Seeing Android turn into a Google flavored IOS is just a huge punch in the gut, and really puts into perspective what can be lost under greedy leadership. "
Zakery, change.org
"Я считаю, что запрет на установку неизвестных файлов является произвольным ограничением моей личной свободы. Такой запрет лишает меня возможности самостоятельно выбирать программы и приложения, которые я считаю нужными, и тем самым ущемляет мои гражданские права — право на свободный доступ к информации, свободу выбора и безопасный цифровой опыт. Я прошу отменить этот запрет, чтобы каждый пользователь мог самостоятельно решать, какие файлы устанавливать, без необоснованных ограничений со стороны государства или компании. "
Павел, 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
"I make little tools for myself and little games for my son, I don't usually distribute apps and when I do it is for free with no ads. Adding a license, divulging personal info and a cost to Android development will make me leave the platform. Allow people to use their computing devices the way they want, don't be evil. "
Paul, change.org
"Google, if you want to destroy freedom of choice while you are in a country that have mottos like 'Give me liberty or give me death', you are self destructing your company because people will abandon your operating systema and use other ones/new ones instead. Where we get our apps is none of your business. If you are dead set obsessed about tr king people, you shold have chosen another job instead of an internet company/email/OS, like the N.S, Hay. instead, would have saved you from self destructing your company. "
S., change.org
"IT'S ABSURD WHAT GOOGLE IS TRYING TO DO ON ANDROID, ANDROID USERS AND ANDROID DEVICES ABOUT LOCKING THE SYSTEM SO WE CAN'T INSTALL APPS DOWNLOADED FROM WEBSITES AND DOWNLOADED FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE. GOOGLE DOES NOT OWN OUR DEVICES AND WE HAVE THE FULL RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE WANT WITH OUR DEVICES BECAUSE WE PAY FOR THEM. "
Wagner, change.org
"Dear Google, As a life-long Android user, the perspective of this program ever coming into place is simply devastating. The Android Project was built with the promise of open-source software, community-driven development and digital freedom at its core. This promise has been a vital part of its success, from its humble beginnings to the widely popular and prolific ecosystem we have today. Any measure that does not fully respect these core values is a direct threat to the Android Project as a whole and a betrayal of its community. I believe the "Android developer verification requirements" program as it stands is such a measure. Therefore, I urge everybody involved at Google to seriously reconsider this program to the benefit of the Android Project and its community. Sincerely- "
Yoann, change.org
"Android's main strength and opportunity in the S. W. O. T analysis is it's openness, which no other OS comes close to. From one side of the earth to the other, android users justifiably expect this unique strength to be enhanced, not diminished. Indeed, this unique feature which has set android apart from the beginning, has also motivated many in the community to become developers. There are even developers for apps on the Apple store whose beginnings were with android. These developers benefited from the openness android provides. For example, Toni Fingerroos — Hill Climb Racing / Fingersoft (Finland), Andrei Popleteev — KeePassium (Luxembourg), and many more. "
Schwan, change.org
"You're forcing us to create an alternative. We live in an age of increasingly powerful AI, we will not let you control everything. "
Anthony, change.org
"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
"Android has one major thing over apple, and that is the ability to download and use whatever software you want on your device alongside the variety of said software. As someone who enjoys finding projects made by other users, or full apps that can alter your experience for the better, we can't just let Google change that. "
Dakota, change.org
"Locking down the Android OS does not benefit developers, or users. It gives more control for Google, to eventually extract more from their users. Android has not been the epitome privacy and FOSS, for a while now; but it has at least kept some of those options open for users. Limiting sideloading is ruining my last reason to use Android. Time to switch. "
Steven, change.org
"It's not sideloading. It's installing an application on a personal computing device I own and payed for... This move is unacceptable. "
Benjamin, change.org
"Just another step big tech is taking to take away our rights and freedoms. "
Martin, change.org
"As a hobbyist and tinkerer I rely on sideloaded apps to manage my smart devices, maintain privacy and access key items on other devices. Many of these services that I have set up would be unavailable if this goes forward. What's more there is no foreseeable reason why one shouldn't be able to modify, edit and change their own devices as they see fit. Every other computer works in this manner and Android has been no different. Maintaining this freedom is a must going forward and has one of the primary draws to the ecosystem. Google's choice to stop sideloading is not fooling anyone, it's a method of control and siloing. I left Apple because of this, don't think I won't leave Android too. "
Matthew, change.org
"Android gives users choice and that is literally the reason why I use Android. For people in places like Iran, China, Russia, and others who want to use apps that can get them unbias news media, but cannot install western news media apps from the Google Play Store how do you think they get their apps. If Google really cared about the security of their users they would actually fix stock Android's issues with permissions management and lack of zero trust architecture. Instead of fighting the symptoms (third part apps) Google should be finding the cure which is fixing the first lines of user's defense browers and OS. Google isn't coming for third party browser extentions, but they are coming for our apps. This makes no sense. It is clearly a ploy to give Google more Apple like control of OUR devices and wants to stop users who do not want to go as far as installing a more secure Android ROM (*cough* *cough* install GrapheneOS *cough*), but who still want a DeGoogled phone. "
Jannet, change.org
"Why would anyone use an Android period outside of being able to install applications not “approved” by some walled-garden. Side loading is a dumb term "
Stephen, change.org
"To block sideload in all newer Android devices, not only for Pixel phones that Google own, is not going to enhance user's safety. It makes life more difficult for developers and you are taking away one of the only things that made Android better than Apple. If Google really wanted to enhance users' safety, they would verify better apps on their Play Store or implement a better antivirus that could scan apks and check for malware. I bought my phone and my tablet with my hardwork and money, I am not a child to not know what I should or shouldn't install inside my phone. Imagine if I couldn't install a necessary software in my computer or test my code just because Microsoft didn't approve of it? That would be absurd. It is my responsibility to know what I can or cannot install in my device, that is not up to a multi-billion company to decide. By blocking sideload, Google is breaking the trust they had from thousands of developers and millions of users of this OS. "
Bianca, change.org
"This "security" feature will stop independent non-commercial projects. We don't want to be locked in commercial CRAP "
David, 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
"Once i switched to f-droid & duckduckgo google could destroy my android experianced the way it's suposed to be, keep our galaxies's free and simple. "
Kelab, change.org
"I am not a developer, just a regular apk user, and the fact that google is trying to remove a vital part of android is crazy "
Gilberto David, change.org
"Everyone is sharing how much they side with Android for the ability to have fuller control over what they can do with their devices .. and I'm so on board with that... I can't stand to have limitations which is why I've always used Android devices.. There's a lot of freedom to allow ourselves to develope what we'd like and share them with others .. that is something I myself enjoy be able to take advantage of as I am in no way knowledgeable in programming and most pf the time, everything I want is done by volunteers or people who just do these things as a hobby... what a community 👏 so annoyed Google is trying to enforce this stupidity "
Santiana, change.org
"Don't be like Apple "
Tom, change.org
"This will be the death of android and Google is holding the gun. My entire attraction to android was the freedom. Now that this will potentially cease to exist, I have no problem finding another source of freedom. Google thinks they're being smart, but they are only killing themselves slowly. Android users everywhere must make sure google pays dearly for the abomination they are creating. "
Kevin, 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
"Android has always been about freedom. "
ben, change.org
"Privacy is important! "
Kyle, change.org
"Android should be a free platform, thats why it exists, taking this away is creating a monopoly that Apple has created and has also gotten in trouble for in the EU for consumer rights "
William, change.org
"Spread this everywhere, we can't afford to be lazy. Also, for my fellow Aussies! You can fight against the Online Censorship Act here! https://t.co/ZqH6nemOJb and https://freespeechunion.au/esafety/ and https://endesafety.au/ please take some time to check these out! "
Sara, change.org
"This won't make Android surpass Apple - it'll just speed up its demise "
ching, change.org
"You either die being choice free and open for the people, or live long enough to change your values and become like Apple. Don't be disgusting. "
Daniel, change.org
"Will Android now be a copy of iOS? "
Miguel, change.org
"Asking an ID for everything is not different from China's ID Citizen Score This is clearly made with the intention to manipulate what people do and learn about "
Verónica, change.org
"The freedom on Android is the best and that is exactly why we choose android. Please do not close off our experience on this platform. "
yer, change.org
"Locking down android will create incredible friction to open source and 3rd party application stores. Imagine if you could only install PC programs from Microsoft Store. "
Andres, 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
"Sideloading is a huge part of what makes android awesome. im not updating my phone anymore if this happens "
Cassius, change.org
"There is no valid reason to do this except greed and control. If someone installs malicious software on their own device thats their issue. "
Jonathan, change.org
"Android is meant to be Open Source This essentially means people should be able to change their version in any way they want Yes, security is important, but to take away the freedom of what should be open-source and freely modifiable is going to harm android People will look to other OS, such as Sailfish, Ubuntu touch and others "
Jaka, change.org
"This is the only reason android is better than android "
David, change.org
"It's Android's openness that has allowed its development and evolution to this day. To close it would break the promise of an open system and deprive users of great freedom! "
Stark, 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
"Me and many of my peers have been android users for over a decade, mainly due to the open nature and freedom to use my device as I wish without friction. Revoking this freedom by forcing developers into this program will harm developer privacy and freedom of speech, accessibility of development, user control over their devices, and preservation of older apps. It's not as easy as move to another OS, as the only other option is iOS and alternatives don't have as many applications needed for general day to day life. This is an overreach of power feigning "caring about user safety" to restrict user and developer freedoms "
Natasha, change.org
"I am an android user, for personal usage and Emulation purposes. I would like to still install from who I want if I want or need the apps. Android was always about customization. doing this strips users of that because i'm pretty sure there are apps out there for this purpose. "
Andy, change.org
"Android should remain free; we are taking more and more steps towards an authoritarian global society and less individual freedom. FREEDOM is a non-negotiable right. "
Farid, change.org
"Let's go! Google can be based if we all pray together. "
james, change.org
"Google is trying to steal money from devs. Plain and simple. "
Caleb, change.org
"As an evil, evil man, I despise google because they are worse. Thus, I of then times look at this website and sign all the petitions against google. Amen brother man "
David, change.org
"I always chose to use android because of its freedom to do whatever I want woth my smartphone. Now they want to become Apple. What is wrong with them? We can't let this happen. "
kelvin, 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
"As consumers, we are entitled to the full functionality of the technology we purchase. This includes the freedom to choose how we use our devices and what software to run on them. Google claims their efforts to lock down Android are for security purposes, but their true motivations are based in a incessant need for control and financial gain. Malware concerns have never justified sideloading restrictions on computers, regardless of OS - so why would they suddenly apply to their pocket-sized counterparts? Smartphones serve as the primary drivers enabling both our personal and professional lives, online and offline. Big tech’s desire to rob the people’s agency and ownership over such vital technology through needless restrictions and invasive surveillance for an extra dime clearly shows their lack of integrity and respect for the consumer. Removing the freedom of choice from Android means creating a landscape where all mobile technology will never truly serve their users as all tools should. Coming from someone who has used both Android and iOS devices, I have learned how indispensable the freedom provided by Android really is, even for an average user. Google’s willingness to restrict their users, destroying Android’s greatest strength and its legacy is extremely disappointing. I do not want to live in a world where all technology becomes a series of “walled gardens” as Apple has notoriously made their own phones. We deserve to own our technology, not be owned by our technology. "
Jurrien, change.org
"Google wants to become IOS but with this petition we can have a chance for Google not to block apks and it has to work so we all have to vote "
Super, change.org
"Ceasing to monopolize everything under the guise of "user security" only harms millions of independent developers and the users who consume their apps "
Angeles, change.org
"I find it frankly baffling how Google is trying to erase one of the selling points of their products because of their need to control Android even further. "
Theo, change.org
"APKs have been very useful to me for getting games I would otherwise have to get overseas with my dad earlier. It allows many more other applications to be downloaded on to my phone too, which would allow me to bypass the need to get the admin code to my computer every time I want to get something. What is this bs that Google is doing? "
Ja, change.org
"I bought an Android phone because of the affordability and more open nature compared to iOS, and hope Google listens to the concerned users and changes its mind regarding this decision. "
Luke, change.org
"This OS has been the only place that has felt free, the ability to download anything from anywhere is what a phone should be able to do. They trying to take away my freedom, and I refuse to bend the knee and accept it. "
Austin, change.org
"This is one of the starting points/gates to mass surveillance. If we don't act now it will be too late when there's already multiple structures put in place enabling the next following steps intheir hold on control. "
Dhariuz, change.org
"Stop your control of people devices. "
Sally, change.org
"I'm not even an Android app developer, but I've always wanted to be. Now, I'm not sure that I do. Making this change will mean that all apps will funnel through Google Play, which gives Google exclusive control and a censorship chokehold on the entire Android ecosystem. I shouldn't have to explain why that would not be good. The whole thing that made Android different from iOS is that it was OPEN. Now Google's just throwing that out of the window. At this point, I might just switch to iOS because Android has lost all of its character. "
Ethan, 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
"From a U.S. point of view it leaves us with only 2 wall gardens (Apple iOS and Google Android) as choices for smartphone operating systems with no other serious competition. I do not think this is a good thing for consumers. "
Mark, change.org
"Because Android will become IOS but worse if this goes into effect. "
Dominick, change.org
"I bought my phone to do what I wanted with what I paid for. Let me do what I want on something i own. Let me suffer the consequences of my actions. Your not my parent and let me be an adult. "
kea, change.org
"I see why this could be a potential issue if this does happen. Hopefully it doesn't go through and it stays the same. "
Gavin, change.org
"Android is the operating system for those who want freedom, and to take away our ability to install what we wish, is the start of Google trying to take further control over us. The internet is already falling apart with attempts to "protect" people, but in reality, the internet isn't a place for big companies to try and protect people against their will. "
Dino, change.org
"it's crazy that they're doing this . It was the only reason i chose "google" android in the 1st place, because of it's semi open nature "
jamie, change.org
"The market benefits when there are choices. The choice to lock down Android is the wrong one. When I buy an android phone I buy the right to have control over the system and what happens in that system. Locking down Android phones is anti consumer. "
Jimben, change.org
"I'm old enough to remember when Google's company montto was "Don't be evil". "
Ryan, change.org
"Aaaaaaaaae "
Sharon, change.org
"As a long-time Android user and small-scale app developer, I'm deeply concerned about the recent moves to restrict app sideloading. Choice has always been the core strength of Android—it's what set it apart as an open operating system. Forcing users to become "approved developers" just to build and install personal apps is impractical and unnecessary; I simply don't have the time or interest in jumping through those hoops. This shift feels like the start of broader censorship and monopolization, transforming Android into little more than a reskinned version of iOS. We chose Android for its freedom, not for anti-consumer restrictions that claim to "protect" us but really just limit our options. Existing tools like Knox and Play Integrity are already intrusive enough—now even downloading from trusted alternatives like F-Droid or other third-party stores might face scrutiny? This erodes the open spirit that defined Android from the beginning. Users deserve the right to create, modify, and install apps without sacrificing anonymity or control. It's our responsibility to educate ourselves on risks, not for big tech like Google (or GAFAM) to dictate terms. Android's appeal has always been its flexibility: I've sideloaded niche apps from lone developers for unique tasks, like custom music players and compass tools from F-Droid. I've even installed modded versions of stock apps, such as a camera tweak that added Google Pixel's Photosphere to my device—something impossible without sideloading. There's no need for Android to head in this restrictive direction; it risks becoming a "mock iOS," stripping away the very reasons people like me chose it. Let's restore customization, user freedom, and innovation to the heart of Android. Please, reconsider this path—it's not protection; it's control. "
Mike, change.org
"The freedom and flexibility was literally the reason I never owned an iPhone. It's like Google wants me to use Ubuntu Touch or something... "
Katrina, change.org
"Users don't deserve the Google jail cell to shrink and encroach "
Ben, change.org
"Remember when google was cool? "
Andrew, change.org
"Android is built on the Linux kernel and draws much of its foundation from the GNU/Linux ecosystem. The spirit of that ecosystem is openness, transparency, and user freedom. Limiting APK installation beyond reasonable security safeguards risks shifting Android toward a controlled ecosystem rather than keeping it an open platform. Security improvements are important, but they should not come at the expense of developer independence, open-source distribution, and users’ freedom to install software responsibly. Instead of restricting APK usage, a better approach would be to improve user education, provide clearer warnings, and offer optional security layers that protect users without limiting their freedom. "
Alireza, change.org
"One reason people buy android devices is for the freedom it offers. As it stands, should I buy a phone in the future, I'll probably just pick a Linux phone instead to avoid Google. "
Timothy, change.org
"We need to live free with our freedom, Apk files is the only reason that I use Android device. "
Laurent, change.org
"We can't back down "
Victor Vitienzo, change.org
"Why was Brazil the first country mentioned regarding developer verification for apps??? They want control, for pleasure!??? "
Bruno Eduardo, 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
"Hopefully this movement is successful for the custom developmental purposes and devotion from the developers themselves. "
Jerrod, change.org
"Being able to get softwares and actually having device freedom is why I have always chosen android over apple. No freedom means that I can't do things I want to on my phone or any android device, which is the point of me buying android "
Zaiden, change.org
"I paid for this device and I can do whatever I want with it "
Marcus, change.org
"I have been avoiding iPhone and using Android specifically for this reason. Why would Google change something that is working for them? Why ruin something good? Short sighted and stupid move. "
Will, 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
"I object to being forced to use Google "approved" bloatware and non-open source software on my devices. "
Kinene, change.org
"this will kill the freedom that android provides and will make you lose a lot of customers you're gonna lose a ton of money from this stupid change "
Jimmy, change.org
"Google. Seriously. Stop. You're becoming the definition of the "don't be evil" slogan that you've buried. You're making Android even worse than iOS "
Karkan, change.org
"Android made it possible for free, open source software to be widely used between everyday consumers instead of locking them into subscriptions or high one time payments, and by restricting APK sideloading, this strips people away from being able to use software that more poeple are able to use. This is downright wrong. "
Michael, change.org
"If wee do not stop this then our computers are next. We will end up the same as other countries who put out the same message to their people to condition them. Our freedom of speech and the right to privacy under the privacy act will be taken away. You do not want this!!! "
Keith, change.org
"Leave our phones alone. Dont turn Android into Apple "
leavemyphonealone, change.org
"I switched to android specifically because I felt like it was truly a device I OWNED. I used Apple in the past but hated the amount of features that were gate kept. Having the ability to download open source apps on my android device has reshaped the way I use my phone and has made my workflows significantly better. This new change will not only completely destroy the open source ecosystem I've become accustomed to, but will actively turn away myself, and Android's main user base. What's the point of ruining your reputation and the only real reason to own an android device? "
Steven, change.org
"One of the things that makes Android special is the freedom it gives developers and users, I hope it doesn't go away. "
Chris, change.org