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. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.
This is bigger than Android
If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.
The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.
Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
But wait, isn't this...
"...just about security?"
The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.
"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"
Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.
"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"
Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.
"...the same thing Apple does?"
Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.
"...just $25 and some paperwork?"
Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.
Fight back
Everyone
- Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
- Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
- Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
- Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
- Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
- Read and share our open letter
- Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do).
Developers
Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.
Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
- Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
- Add the FreeDroidWarn library to your apps to warn users.
- Run a website? Add the countdown banner.
Google employees
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.
All those opposed…
71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter
Proton AG proton.me
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Brave brave.com
CryptPad cryptpad.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
GitHub Store github-store.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Cryptee crypt.ee
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Techlore techlore.tech
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
iodé iode.tech
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
FUTO futo.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
April april.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
ARTICLE 19 article19.org What they're saying
Tech press
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"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's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
Editorials & analysis
"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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"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
"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 $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
"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
"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
"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
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"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 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
"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
"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 wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"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
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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 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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
Organizations & open letters
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"This is a profound change, one that shatters the entire premise of the Android ecosystem, long regarded as the antithesis of the closed Apple ecosystem."
AdGuard
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"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
"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
"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's abusive approach to the Android operating system has only gotten worse in recent years. Software freedom is sorely lacking in the 'computers in our pockets' we call cell phones."
Free Software Foundation
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"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
"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
YouTubers & creators
"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
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"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
"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
"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
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"The 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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google 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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"The 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
"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 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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"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
Developers & community
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"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
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, 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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"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
"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
"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."
jzb, Lobsters
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"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 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"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
Voices from the petition
"This is a threat to everyone's first amendment rights. Google's tech oligarchy is trting gatekeep creativity for their own greed. This should concern everyone, not just F-Droid developers and users! They won't just stop at F-Droid, their goal is total control! "
AJ, change.org
"The idea that you don't get to decide what software runs on your computer is so toxic and terrible. I don't want google to have the ability to limit what I can do with my devices, nor do I want them to censor developers that don't meet their requirements. It's my device, I want to decide who I trust to write my software. "
Bruce, change.org
"Android was always advertised as an open OS for anyone, and was like Windows or Linux, supporting unsigned app installs. If need to use ADB to install some indie app for things, or need to go through a development environment just to install a singular random app, then I might as well switch to iOS, as Android just lost it's best weapon in the battle against Apple. "
Trenton, change.org
"I had to begrudgingly install google on my phone recently, and it's so difficult to get it off. I'm probably going to install graphene on the phone in the near future, so I don't have to consent to everything and get tracked constantly. "
Hank, change.org
"Open source apps is what makes Android the best over ios "
Billy, 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
"We shouldn't accept the platform being closed and controlled this way, reach out to the anti-monopoly institutions in your respective countries! "
Cristian Nicolas, change.org
"I've always been an avid android user because of its open nature, but since the pandemic google has been clamping down on the freedom provided by the platform. First they added extra steps to install appstores other than the play store. Then they took away the ability to install older applications. Then they blocked you from being able to access the filesystem of your own device. Now they want to close the ecosystem, and make it easy for them to oppress the people who made this OS worthwhile in the first place. Google is heartless, and it's only a matter of time until they closed-source the android project. I will not stand for a corporation that willingly hands over the innocent to this authoritarian regime. Leave android alone! "
Issac, change.org
"Yeah, when you buy a product it belongs to you. You can do whatever you want with your product. I like it open source since it gives full control on the potential you can do with your cellphone. I don't need a nanny telling any consumer what to do or monitor constantly on where I go. I don't like having to give out my personal information to a corporation that has had history of abusing personal information of users. And I don't like the direction it's going by making everything closed source. Android would be no different than Apple. I'm considering purchasing a linux phone so that I can fully have privacy and some form of freedom. Hope this will be a start of a change. Have an odd feeling Android will be going in the direction of what Discord is trying to implement with biometrics and building a profile off of the user of the things the user searches, the contacts the user has, and even the calls. Enough said. "
Cely, change.org
"Hands off the APK! I left Russia for Freedom in 2022 and now you trying to restrict our Freedom like a criminal Putin. "
Alex, change.org
"I don't sideload, I only download form sources I trust and that are not the Google PlayStore. If you want to verify apps, verify them on your app store, not others! "
Lukas, change.org
"I use sideloading very often, especially for Linux terminal emulation, and I can't do nearly as much in that vein without it. "
Sylvia, change.org
"The whole reason Android is popular is because it's open source. By locking away sideloading and forcing developers to verify themselves, what difference is there between this and iOS, which is starting to allow sideloading of apps? "
Ruben, change.org
"Everyday Google becomes more and more of a monopoly and governments are letting them get away with it so they can use them to enact censorship and surveillance. "
Ciara, change.org
"Digital freedom matters! "
Koda, 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
"I bought this device. Keep your ransomware/malware away from MY device, Google. "
Zach, 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
"I do not want Google to limit my freedom of speech or right to privacy. Google is a monopoly and must be dismantled. This has to stop. "
Tristan, change.org
"The transformation of Android into a closed platform would likely erode its competitive advantage over Apple, potentially positioning Apple as the superior option. As an open-source project, Android should ideally operate without the necessity of governmental or private authorizations. Should Google proceed with such a change, it is highly probable that new operating systems will emerge. These decisions by Google could result in significant detriments to the company without yielding any discernible benefits. As a shareholder, I strongly recommend that Google refrain from pursuing this course of action. I oppose any initiative that would necessitate third-party authorization upon installing and operating applications for the Android platform, as this represents a threat to consumers and creators alike, and moves us closer to a monopolistic market. "
Pedro, change.org
"Android is about freedom, not control this change will ruin android forever "
Eli, 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
"Really hurting developers with this move. I implore those that are have good conscience left at google to re-evaluate. "
Calvin, change.org
"My whole reason to use Android is because it's open. At this point, you're just making a shittier version of IOS by locking down Android... "
Zakaria, 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
"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "
Mikka, change.org
"Funny how a principle as straightforward as “don’t be evil” can still turn out to be surprisingly difficult to live up to. "
JV, change.org
"For longer than I can remember, I have cherished Android's openness, the ability to side-load APKs, access to F-Droid and related means of acquiring open-source and ad-free apps. But now, here we go again with another Big Tech bait-and-switch: Android's appeal has always been it's open nature; Google captures it, promising it will not violate the fundamental openness of Android's operating system; next thing we know, Google announces it will indeed violate everything Android developers, users, and community members hold dear. Google: We are all so tired of paying to have our freedoms restricted on top of being the objects of mass surveillance. We are sick of purchasing over $1000 devices, only to have our fundamental rights to our own bought property be curtailed and our privacy interests betrayed. We will not continue to fund this behavior. Google must make a public, righteous, and inviolable commitment to keep Android devices *at least as open as they are now*. If it does not, it will be Google that feels the pinch of being locked out. "
Brian, 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
"KEEP ANDROID OPEN SOURCE "
Tomica, change.org
"This is an outrageous monopolizing effort that not only chokes out competition and a healthy ecosystem for application development, it also is hugely concerning from a security perspective. One entire company should NOT have control over everything. Google has grown far too large, and history has taught us that large corporations are obscenely corrupt and controlling of people's safety, freedom, and wellbeing. This cannot go unchecked. "
Sarah, change.org
"Help new developers earn an income and revolutionize our apps and games! "
João, change.org
"Google always voiced themselves as the "Open Platform" in direct competition with Apple. With the lockdown happening, there is no more competition. It's either "isolated OS" or "fellow isolated OS". In today's day and age, especially, the people value and are drawn to the ability to make their own choices without the difficulties and frustrations of being restricted and banned from doing something. It's *why* so many people switched to Android/ Google devices, and *why* so many Android/Google users *refuse* to use Apple products. The lockdown is just creating another Apple under a different company. "
Amelia, change.org
"Sick and tired of Google's garbage. "
Gabriel, change.org
"I am Japanese and using translation. I am deeply disappointed about this matter. There is no need to restrict the great features of Android. If only a limited number of people can develop, it will only lead to the decline of content. Please stop making things worse. "
成田, change.org
"I never liked Apple's highly restrictive service for their app and mobile OS. I chose Android because of the freedom of customizability and choice, and ease of access. Do not make Android a wasteland, Google. People who use andriod value privacy and security, while also easily being able to make it better without worrying about who has what information about them. Please, think about the consequences for once. "
Maygen, change.org
"Let's fight for our freedom. "
Juan, change.org
"Freedom of choice and the end users ability to load applications and make changes to their devices is exactly why I switched to Android so many years ago. Truly hoping this is resolved and back to the core android roots once again. "
Ryan, change.org
"Android used to be the go to mobile if you wanted quality and freedom from having to buy in to one type of tech (e.g. Apple). Now they're forcing developers and users to buy into their tracking. This just may well be the push I need to give up my mobile all together. Thanks Google! "
Jason, 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
"I WANT MY RIGHTS I BOUGHT THE SMARTPHONE! you can add like a warning but dont block. We want older versions of software. #ourtechourrights So many old games i used to play all gone! So many outfit7 games, old minecraft versions, shopkins, angry birds they are at risk even cut the rope "
Edu, change.org
"I bought my Android device because it was an open computer platform. Changing the rules now to force verification is a betrayal of users and a move toward a monopoly. Stop this restriction! "
Emirhan, 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
"I have been an android user for as long as I can remember, do not change that now Google. I have just started to develop android apps, because I find the alternatives not so friendly and bothersome. Android has been my driving flag and I would not want that to change for any reason. "
Nijel, change.org
"Keep Andriod open! "
Andre, change.org
"This undermines user choice, Again. This will hurt countless small businesses and massively increase the barrier to entry for new bootstrapped developer startups. We don't need more gatekeeping. "
Thomas, change.org
"Open APK usage is literally the only reason I switched to Android in the first place "
John, change.org
"This is a blatant attack on freedom, and I cannot just stand by and watch it come to pass. If we allow the likes of Google to take such steps, they'll clear a whole staircase. "
Emir, change.org
"Keep it open source! "
Brad, change.org
"This policy shift is concerning for developers. Android has always stood out because of its openness — the freedom to build and distribute apps without excessive barriers. Requiring mandatory verification and charging fees adds friction that especially impacts independent and small developers. I understand the intention may be to reduce piracy, malware, or improve security. However, raising entry barriers risks weakening the very ecosystem that made Android strong in the first place. Innovation depends on accessibility and low compliance costs. Also, Google Play Store has been historically ineffective regarding security issues on their own marketplace. Restrictive distribution policies can also create unintended consequences. When official channels become too restrictive or expensive, users may turn to unofficial modifications like rooting or other system-level workarounds. That does not improve security — it may actually increase fragmentation and vulnerability. Even Microsoft never needed to impose this level of control on Windows to remain competitive. Decisions like this could accelerate the growth of alternative Linux-based operating systems and, over time, undermine Android’s dominance in the global market. "
João, change.org
"Keep the Android system free, that's what made me buy an Android phone in the first place, if Google goes through with this it means we're not going to be allowed to install whatever app we as consumers have the right to install. "
Lautaro, change.org
"Android since it start has its premisse of being a free place that you can do what you want, but with this change it is not possible anymore. This is restricting user freedom and censoring what can and cannot be displayed at android. "
Kaio, change.org
"Why are all these companies trying to push me to Linux? Do they not like money? "
Niel, change.org
"Android was built on FOSS foundations and this anti-consumer move goes against the guiding tenants of the OS and Google's mission. No-one who uses Android wants to see Google pervert it into a second-rate apple. This move is a violation of consumer faith and a bad long-term business decision. Revert it in it's entirety before you loose the core attraction of your product. "
Tate, change.org
"I'm getting so sick of governments/ corporations thinking they can just take away our right to privacy online under the guise of "security", and the more they're able to get away with it, the more we'll see it happening. I'm not a developer and I barely use 3rd party apps, but that doesn't mean I won't fight for our ability to use our phones as we see fit "
Danielle, change.org
"The reason why i use android is because of the freedom but if Google lockdown android then there no point on staying and not switching to other ecosystem "
Joel, change.org
"I purchased an Android device just recently and had to send it back because I disliked how central to the user experience Google made itself on the new device. I could never see myself buying another Android if it gets worse than this, and Googles limits on APK file usage is definitely worse. "
Donna Grace, change.org
"I grew up without cameras and sensors constantly supplying tech firms and governments my movements, habits, and so on. While I can't force the world to roll back the loss of privacy in public spaces, I'm sure as hell not ceding in the fight to maintain a bit of privacy in my own home. Since the only reason I can stand using an Android phone is being able to install and use non-invasive apps, I will absolutely switch OS if this BS goes through. "
Alex, 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
"Pαrα sαlvαr Αndroid "
Jhon Harrison, change.org
"You will bury yourselves. "
William, change.org
"What's the joke about Android being another iOS? Sure, you can find whatever you want on the Play Store as long as it's there, but there are junk apps and paid apps that ask you to doxx yourself and tell them where you live and everything else. No, where's the freedom in that that Android always had? .... Another iOS? No. "
mike, change.org
"The biggest reason I use Android is that I'm free of the lockdown and monitoring imposed by Apple. If Google locks out developers then the system I love will perish. "
Samuel, change.org
"The only way for android to compete with Apple is to allow side loading apps. If you remove this what is the selling point of ANDROID! "
Kendall, change.org
"I understand that piracy is bad and illegal, which is one of the main reasons why android is doing this, but android has always been about customization. having the whole operating system locked down like this is taking away a huge part of why people buy androids, and this takes away our control of our own devices. "
Judah, change.org
"google, queremos continuar livres! "
Vitor, change.org
"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
"Keep Android Open "
Timothy, change.org
"This change has nothing to do with security, it wants to remove the power of choice from the user and screw up many developer by forcing them to use the Play Store. Android is all about freedom and will always be. "
Yuri, change.org
"If I wanted an iPhone, I would chuck my phone into the nearest dumpster and walk into the Apple store that very same day and buy an iPhone, but that is not what I want. I want the freedom to install the software of my choice and the right to use my device (that I have purchased!) in the way that I want. Google claims that developer verification is for the user's safety. However, forcing developers to disclose their identities will put their safety at risk if they live in countries where censorship is rampant, or make them a target for doxxing if any shady third parties wish to abuse this verification system for whatever petty reasons. "
David, change.org
"Android has always stood for user choice that’s what made it different. Taking away freedoms like sideloading apps goes directly against that foundation. Not every developer wants to go through approval processes just to create or use their own apps. Many of us build things for personal use, experimentation, or learning not for distribution under strict control. These changes don’t just limit developers they set a dangerous precedent. This is how censorship and platform control begin, slowly turning an open ecosystem into a closed one. Android was meant to be open. What made it powerful was the freedom it gave its users. Stripping that away doesn’t protect people it restricts them. If Android continues down this path, it risks losing what made it great in the first place. "
Jared, change.org
"This is a horrendous plan. The Android Open Source Project is supposed to be just that... Open source. Requiring developers to provide Id, pay a fee, and register to release software for phones that people own is untenable. This is effectively making Android as much of a walled garden as Apple. Except Apple does it better. The whole draw of Android was the openness of the platform. If you remove that, we would be better off with Apple. PLEASE do not ruin Android by going ahead with this misguided plan. "
Alan, change.org
"I just spent $2000 on Samsung devices to break out of the Apple ecosystem because I'm tired of being locked down, and then I hear about this. Incredibly disappointing, I guess if they go through with this then I'll head back to iPhone after this, since nothing will set Android apart anymore. "
Kat, change.org
"Google get out of MY phone! "
Mauro, change.org
"Google was created OPEN to everyone, and should stay open source, and not be locked down or limited to creators and developers! "
Robbie, change.org
"I like to have a choice to choose and I understand the risks, that is why I check, Google should not have monopoly over it. "
Rosalie, change.org
"the only reason Android shines is it's customizabe especially app installation. please don't ruin yourself "
John, change.org
"By closing up android to block other app stores and sources of software you're destroying what makes android great. Free Software was used to build your company and you vowed to "Not be Evil". Now that you're in a position of market dominance you have a big choice to make. You can keep Free Software working for everyone as the steward of Android and make sure that your product doesn't get worse. Please don't take the coward's way out, claiming that this is to protect users. Those that would trade freedom for security deserve neither! "
Glen, 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
"The entire point of choosing android over IOS is for the freedom to install things that may or may not work. 3rd party installation already requires you to go through some hoops . Its my device let me install what I want. "
Brian, change.org
"I don't know what words will reach the ones that need to hear them. I'll just say I'm willing to switch, drop, or do what I think works for me. "
Daniel, change.org
"We need android to stay open "
Mark, change.org
"The whole reason I choose Android over iOS is because of the choices I have when I purchase the device. Android make me feel that I own the device. However, if Android takes iOS's walled garden approach there's little reason to select Android over iOS. "
Tyler, change.org
"Personal freedom and technology literacy are two things that allowed me to become so interested in technology in the first place around 4 years ago, and neither of those things are possible without the ability to realize what your phone is doing when installing an app, as well as the ability to look at the code of an open-source app to see how it works. It is allegedly about security, but that is a very insignificant byproduct compared to the real reason you were compelled to introduce this change that applies retroactively, server-side, and to everyone with no manual override, and you have abandoned all pretense of even saying "we're just checking for malware in more places". You aren't even lying to us anymore! You already scan all apps for malware and force all users to go through a series of checkboxes to be able to install apps from alternate sources, which is more than enough guardrails for the hypothetical person you want to protect, who is so smart to not just download but install an APK, but so dumb they install malware and don't realize. For what? So 99% of people will notice nothing different about their device while 1% of people will lose everything that they care about? No, it's not about that. You know that you are turning a perfectly guarded town into a police state. There might be less unpunished crime by the citizens, but that comes at the cost of more state-sanctioned crime from power-tripping assholes wanting to do the king's bidding. But we are waking up to this fact. And even besides these dictatorial changes made due to unregulated business practices, these people in power wanting you to censor their opponents will soon be kicked out, and you will face accountability for these actions you have taken to support the worst of the worst when you had the power to do the opposite. Reverse this proposition, and we'll turn the crosshairs to someone else for now. Actively fight against the enshitification of technology itself, either by example or encouragement, and we will welcome you, because our side is correct and improves the human condition, so it will win. "
Cameron, change.org
"Being open sourced and allowing users to have control over their own devices is what makes android beautiful. If you continue with this then you'll be no better than Apple. Allow devs, techies, power users and curious kids and adults to write their own programs and use them. Our phones! Our choice! You're going to damage yourself because it'll just let operating systems like Graphene explode and become more than what they are now "
Sean, change.org
"As a user and advocate of free and open-source software, I express my deep concern regarding Google's recent decisions that progressively erode the open nature of Android. The reduction of AOSP releases from four to two times per year [[13]], the development of the system behind closed doors [[21]], and the new developer verification program that threatens independent repositories like F-Droid [[17]], represent a shift toward a more controlled and restrictive model. Android was born as a promise of freedom for manufacturers, developers, and users; turning it into a closed ecosystem not only betrays its foundational principles, but also limits innovation, competition, and users' right to control their own devices. I demand transparency and a genuine commitment to open source. "
Dalien, change.org
"Hasn't Google monopolized enough? Let us have a right to our data, identity security, and development. "
Taylor, change.org
"Google should not be able to say what apps we can and can’t download; we are adults and until its illegal for a good and vaild point; i should be allowed to youse the phone i paid for with hard earned money they way I want: the freedom that comes with growing up. I use a lot of niche software/apps and can only do it on android due to its openess. Please stop with this eshitifcation of products and services; eventually will stop buying. We buy products that benefit us; once that stops we will stop buying them; and companies need our money so please actually listen to consumer base that gives you the money you desire. What made me choose Android over iOS is the openness of it. By doing this you are killing what make android great, the fact that everyone can make an app and load it on his phone. You don't have iOS fan base. We will go elsewhere. "
kea, change.org
"The only reason I prefer Android over iOS is the freedom of sideloading apps. If you remove this feature, lots of users (including me) will no longer have a reason to use Android instead of iOS. Also, isn't Google Play Protect enough to protect users from malware? Besides, sideloading is disabled by default unless you manually enable it in settings. You can add warnings and scan APKs, but please don't block them entirely. "
IPVG, change.org
"Free will is pretty cool. Kinda the whole reason Android is superior to Apple. Maybe don't become Apple. That'd be pretty cool. If I didn't want free will anymore I would have purchased an Apple device. Google. Don't be like Apple. Thank you. "
Tyler, change.org
"Trading freedom for security is something that should never be accepted! When someone offers you security in exchange for your freedom, what they're really saying is: "Give up your power and trust me not to destroy you." Imposed security is a leash. Freedom hurts because it leaves you exposed to chaos, but it's the pain of strength—the pain that forges sovereignty. Remember: "Those who would give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." — Benjamin Franklin "
William, change.org
"Jesus christ google you want to drive away your entire customer base? You realize that the only reason we don't buy iphones is because they don't give us this freedom that Android does. I know you think no one can touch your multi billion dollar empire but know that you have that data because of us. The customers. NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS, NO ONE WANTS THIS. First you "detected root" then you "implemented safety net" then you implemented "play integrity and certification" just pushing and pushing and pushing developers to bow down to you. And now this? No. You aren't staying on top forever. Think very carefully if this is the road you want to tread because we will all leave. And it won't be just Android. Alternative search engines exist. Alternative emails exist. Alternative cloud storage exists. We don't have to bow down to Google. If you do this, it's over. "
Genalio, change.org
"Just another step big tech is taking to take away our rights and freedoms. "
Martin, change.org
"Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free.Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free. "
Pedro, change.org
"In the past, Google claimed to be "good" with its "don't be evil" slogan. That time has passed. Now we need to fight against these clearly evil policies. Join this cause! "
Cristiano, 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
"This would simply make me walk away from using android devices, you act like android is the only phone OS out there and it's not. Linux is a powerful tool, so don't be foolish Google. "
Christopher, change.org
"I regularly use FOSS apps and apps I've been bringing with me in APK form from phone to phone, and the promise of being able to develop and run my own code has been part of what's kept me using Android all these years. For Google to then yank the rug out from under us is a betrayal of the highest order, and for what? Shareholders? To feed the addiction held by seemingly every person in a seat of power to know exactly what a given Android owner ate for breakfast on any given date? What a fall from grace from a company that once touted the mottos "Don't be evil" and "Do the right thing." "
Catherine, change.org
"This is about Freedom! I want to be in control of what apps I install on my phone! And How I install them! I choose freedom! Do Not block or limit my freedom under the the guise of helping me according to your beliefs! "
Henry, change.org
"I think the freedom to have a choice on this matter is important, not just because there is a case to make regarding unsupported products let alone possible monopoly concerns, but also because there is a major issue regarding the freedom of choice on this matter that I think should not be taken away as an option for consumers. "
Ronald, change.org