Still a bad joke. If the custom ROMs can't get past this it's either dumb-phone or linux phone next. No compromise.
this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2025
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Linux Phones
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We won't know for sure until they actually drop the code, but I'm more optimistic now that they've clarified that adb will still work to sideload. That means there's still some code path in the package installer that doesn't do this bullshit, so it should be pretty easy to remove it for the people used to working on custom ROMs.
That doesn't help those of us users who don't want to go through the hassles involved with trying to select a device that:
- Allows installation of custom ROMs
- Will not only currently have, but also retain long-term support of custom ROM developers
- Doesn't have the inevitable instabilities and/or incompatibilities so often involved with such ROMs.
I don't have the patience or time for that shit anymore - I just want a device that works as it should, while also allowing me to install whatever the fuck I want without the Nanny state's approval.
This crap of Google's is purely for show and doesn't really solve anything. It's a lame distraction from the fact they can't (or won't) make a fucking secure sandbox for apps like they should.
Absolutely. The person I replied to was talking about using a custom ROM, but I would certainly not recommend that for anyone who isn't familiar with it already.
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I believe they confirmed uncertified devices will not have these requirements, so technically degoogled Android should still be fine.
You don't get Google services, but then again that's also true of every other alternative.
It's all jumping the gun for now. We'll see where this goes.
That will still significantly hinder the development of independent apps if only a small niche proportion of people can install them.
Embrace, extend, extinguish
Yyyyes?
I mean, as opposed to what? Mainstream Linux phones? The guy is saying that if this goes through he may try dumbphones or Linux phones, I'm saying that degoogled Android may also be able to bypass the problem. How is what I'm saying in conflict with what you responded?
Sorry, I know I'm grumpy, but on this subject it's been super frustrating the degree to which people just respond to isolated stimuli like a dog seeing a ball go by. Like, zero ability or attempt to grasp context or meaning, just see a word, type the thing they wanted to say regardless of whether it fits. It gets grating after a while.
You say that people who use degoogled phones will be unaffected by this measure and downplayed the impact those measures will have on them. My point is that they will be hurt by it regardless.
If Google makes side loading of apps impossible unless you have a degoogled phone, projects that need side loading to function like F-Droid and other open source apps that do things Google doesn't like will see their already small user base collapse to only the niche audience that has a degoogled phone. I don't expect those projects and apps to maintain the level of support they currently have if it is for such a reduced audience.
As a bare minimum it is a blatant attempt by Google to gain even more control over the entire Android ecosystem and I would absolutely not say that we should wait and see where this is going like you did.
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Google have already pulled the Pixel-line from the AOSP device tree. I've read that their security commits to the open repo will slow significantly down. They're talking about moving to a unified OS along with CHROMEOS (Still. Again.)
AFAIK, all custom ROMs are based on AOSP. I'm not optimistic.
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linux phone
I know that given this community, a lot of people are going to be on a Linux phone already.
But there are some very real drawbacks to Linux phones in 2025. It won't be a practical replacement for most people.
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The hardware is not remotely-competitive with high-end hardware that Android can run on.
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Everything I've seen has suggested that power usage isn't as good, probably because Android has had shit-tons of engineers working on cutting power usage for many years.
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Some of the reason that I'd want to use a phone in the first place is for access to the Android app ecosystem. Like, that one app that your employer or bank insists you use or you want to use to update firmware on some Bluetooth device because the vendor doesn't support
fwupd. Maybe it's possible to use Waydroid and a Linux machine for some of that; I don't know about all. -
GNU/Linux has a large software library, but a lot of it is not designed around a touch UI.
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One major benefit of Android is that it does a lot to help eliminate a couple things that the general population has had trouble with. The harm from installing malware is mitigated by more-or-less isolating apps. A lot of users just don't understand the concept of managing memory usage; Android just suspends apps transparently. A lot of users apparently don't have a great understanding of a filesystem, and the Android app ecosystem tends to hide the filesystem.
And you may not care for your own use, but without scale, it's hard to get support from hardware vendors and such.
That being said, I remember 25 years back or so when Linux was "never going to be a real server OS", when it was never going to have games, when it was never going to make it big in the embedded world, and so forth. It often took time, but it inexorably showed up. And the kernel, at least, made it big on smartphones. GNU/Linux can be pretty hard to stop in new markets. But...it can also take a while to get there.
I agree with all this bullets and would love to add one more: the Linux user experience and community. You have to accept that your operating system will be an ongoing project in and of itself, and that the Linux community is not newbie friendly and has a lot of troubleshooting deadends.
Linux on the desktop still isn't all sunshine and rainbows. I can't imagine a phone being any better. I still had to sneakernet WiFi drivers onto a laptop with a new Linux install, this year. Same shit I was doing 15 years ago.
I love your stance!
Go SailfishOS! Ironically enough, you can sideload apks there even though it's not Android.
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Boycott the hell out of android!
As long as you don't go to iOS, sure. Hopefully Linux phones will get a much needed development boom.
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So, what is your alternative suggestion?
I'm strongly considering the switch to something like PostmarketOS. Also, I'm trying to donate small amounts to a few Linux phone projects, and am asking others to do the same. Even $5 here and there could be the difference needed to accelerate mobile Linux to a better state.
Every little bit helps. Thank you for thinking ahead!
Buy an used pixel and install graphene.
Have graphene devs announced where they stand about this situation? They're security minded, not necessarily for freedom of choice, so they may go either way
They’re working with a different manufacturer, they don’t seem too worried about Google screwing around with everyone. They can always replace any Android components if need be.
adb requiring registration in less than 3 years.
Shatter this corporation.
It's not their platform. It's your computer. That's what the money was for.
On an unrelated note, Google’s blog post also is soliciting feedback from the public on these changes.
"Please let us know if you have any feedback or questions about the verification requirements."
Google will ignore this unless there's an absolute fuck-ton of backlash over it (and with so much currently under Republican control, even that's quite iffy), so get everyone you can to give it to them. If you have any ideas on how to get even the corporate boot-lickers against this, please spread it far and wide. Quickly.
I wonder if Epic games will sue them again. Epic has their own side loaded APK for the mobile Epic Games Store.
Wasn't this prevented by the last lawsuit?
The Republicans have managed to insert enough of their sycophants throughout the American legal system - most notably including the Supreme Court - to ensure corporate interests will always win in the end going forward. The invasion of the Supreme Court is especially insidious because those are lifetime appointments, and they've ensured their recent additions to it are young enough to stay in place for a very long time.
This has already had effects in allowing Trump get away with literal murder by them expanding the power of the Oval Office to absurd amounts with recent "decisions."
All federal judge appointments are for life.
That means all those courts of appeals judges and lower court judges he appoints are also there until they leave or get better jobs higher in the judiciary food chain.
Ugh. I was unaware, although I guess I should have realized it from the fact they have to be vetted by the Senate. Can you tell I'm no legal eagle? I hate how laws are treated by most people as if they're the very definition of what's right and wrong when so many of them blatantly aren't.
But what about EU?
In the next decade Google will receive a strongly worded letter about it. In just under two decades Google will be forced to stop doing that.
guess im stopping updating my phone on android 15 and security update september congrats google
Or just install lineageos
i have an s24 so that's not possible.
They keep trying to lock it down more and more. Why do they even think that's a good idea? The entire reason Android is successful in the first place is that it's an open system, so it can be easily and cheaply adapted for various products. If they're gonna just turn it into iOS (Google skin) and shove more and more functionality into random proprietary components, I wouldn't be surprised if companies start forking Android or just do their own thing like Huawei is now.
Why do they even think that's a good idea?
At some point becoming a "registered developer " will become a source of profit for Google.
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Probably the 3rd party app stores, the rules the judges gave them in America.
Is there currently a way to run adb from the phone itself? This should be possible, right?
Without rooting, there's Shizuku for some limited rights access. Otherwise I know there (was?) a way to connect another phone via USB to act as a the "development PC" to issue ADB commands from, but I've never personally done it so I can't tell you much more than that.
ETA: Wireless debugging is a thing, too. It being enabled (along with actually being connected to some kind of Wi-Fi) is required for Shizuku to start up (& can be shut off without ill effect once you've started Shizuku).
Yep, I believe Shizuku will get a lot of new users.
Interesting, might be a solution if Google doesn't shut it off somehow.
So there's nothing new here other than a link to their Q&A video.
And perhaps more importantly a subtle reminder that the Q&A blog post in question includes a link to a Google survey for developers you can freely add feedback to by entering your email.
Following the links instead of reacting to the headline has its perks.
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