Discussion
I'm not sure how I'll be responding to this because I'm not currently an Android app developer and not likely to be.
In principle I'd like to deGoogle, but it's not really an option for many, and it is the many that will be needed in order for developers to retain a user base.
I'd love to see this boost Android and iOS alternatives, and might switch as a way of supporting that. But which?
I looked at #GOS recently and it looked promising, but don't think it avoids this.
@jbz Here I am hoping Google goes through with this... I would love to see wide masses to move towards real alternatives to duopoly. I have moved to use #SailfishOS as my main device, as it seems to be most mature Linux option. And finally after long time #Jolla is bringing on the market Linux phone with decent specs!
I personally think the mandatory #Android app developer registration that #Google wants to enforce starting in September 2026 and that will prevent the installation of apps of non-registered developers is in breach of Article 5 (5) of the EU Digital Markets Act.
I therefore just sent a complaint to the European Commission and asked them to enforce the requirements of the EU DMA.
@weizenspreu Did they answer saying that not being able to install software on a device you paid and own is "a necessary and proportionate measure" that the DMA allows?
@fdroidorg The probably refer to Recital 50 of the Digital Markts Act?
I would assume the last sentence of that recital to be relevant as well: „The gatekeeper should be prevented from implementing such measures as a default setting or as pre-installation.“
@fdroidorg The haven’t answered at all yet.
I'm not sure how I'll be responding to this because I'm not currently an Android app developer and not likely to be.
In principle I'd like to deGoogle, but it's not really an option for many, and it is the many that will be needed in order for developers to retain a user base.
I'd love to see this boost Android and iOS alternatives, and might switch as a way of supporting that. But which?
I looked at #GOS recently and it looked promising, but don't think it avoids this.
I've been using alt phone OSes for ten years. Here is my take.
#SailfishOS is hands down the best and most mature alternative. It is built from the ground up along totally different lines inherited from an old smartphone team at Nokia before MS bought the company and canned the project. I use it as my daily driver and it is full featured. Very small company, EU based, privacy centric, not prone to enshittifying, great community, Linux phone.
I dont use Android or any Google products (I have lived basically Google-free since 2012) but those who use Android also like /e/OS, LineageOS, and GrapheneOS.
the #postmarketOS crew in Europe are doing an amazing job with their Lonux phone alrhough it is still pretty experimental and IMO not primetime ready altho if you want to pitch in they are great people and I highly recommend!
@cyberlyra
Thanks, very helpful.
Do you know if it will be affected if Google proceeds with their walled garden? I assume Android Apps would not require Google's approval when run on Sailfish.
I had a look at supported devices but they don't appear to support Google Pixel 9a (or any Pixel phones). In fact it's a pretty small list really, so I'd have to buy a phone specifically for it I think. I should have looked into this question before buying!
Useful recommendation though, thanks.
@jbz
I got a Sony Xperia off eBay for $100-200 and put SFOS on it.
You don't use a Google store to load apps, you can just install APK's, or sailfish native apps, or install from Github or whatever you'd like from the Command line.
What's in Google's store has nothing to do with what I run on my phone.
@cyberlyra
Ok, is there a way to load apps that are on Google Play and you can't get APKs for, and how about picky apps such as banking?
@jbz
my banking apps work but ymmv. I know you can have a google accoubt on there, i have just never used it. Someone else likely has tho! It's a great question for forum.sailfishos.org
@happyborg @jbz Check #SailfishOS from #Jolla. When I have tried to do research about real alternatives, Sailfish seems to be most mature one. And it even has android container integrated which works beautifully in transition period. Works super smoothly. I don't personally think it is degoogling if you transfer to other android, but that is subjective opinion. Of course with that you can quite Google data mining, which is great step already
@jbz I wonder if this will galvanize the development of Linux mobile distros like Mobian and PostmarketOS.
@jbz Android is shifting from an open platform to a Google-controlled walled garden. Demanding private keys and government ID is a direct attack on developer privacy and independent innovation. Open source is dying under the weight of monopoly.
@jbz And the important additional note is that this is about the *Android* platform, not the *Google Play* platform, as I understand it.
So this affects F-Droid users just the like.
@Razemix @jbz I don't believe that *that* will be the effect.
The effect will be added friction to get people to use libre alternatives.
Almost everyone besides me that I know in real-life does banking and other stuff which strictly requires a Google-certified OS on their phone.
The lock-in to the tasty google seal of approval is so strong, Google knows exactly that they can pull this move without losing market share.
@jssfr @jbz Many banking apps actually work fine on GrapheneOS, see https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/. Not sure about other custom ROMs. And of course, it's an added friction and it may not work for everyone. But I think this should be a wake-up call for a lot of people, even if Google backs down.
@jbz Oh nice another reason to find alternatives, GOOD!
@jbz Sometimes the smartphone world makes me really want to wipe the thing and figure out a way to install Windows 98.
(No, really, the way I see it, there are way too many things - at least in Android - that are a step backwards compared to Windows 98, and I'm aware that system is far from flawless (and that a non-locked-down UNIX-like system would be much better)... but at least you could install what you wanted to, you could access the whole filesystem, and you didn't need system changes to access application data).)
@jbz This increasing platform friction and centralization is precisely why Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are a better path forward. They bypass this kind of gatekeeping entirely. Unless a feature absolutely requires native integration - which is increasingly uncommon - the open web is the superior platform. #PWA #Apps
@jbz oh wow thats so bad. So, what is our response? move to iOS? GrapheneOS not mature enough yet and others are lacking behind by a lot..
@jbz When I was in grad school, for Computer Science, I had a course where we programed apps on our phones to do some sort of sensor data collection.
Mine was focused on sound and noise pollution.
The students with apple phones were massively handicapped by Apple policies.
It's disappointing, to say the least, that Android will also be handicapping.
https://kristinhenry.medium.com/the-making-of-mycitysounds-a9757d59e3e4
@jbz All talking about switching to a Linux-phone but Linux is much unsafer than Android. Android has sandboxes, app based permissions and nearly no root access for a reason.
@jbz I just paid $250 (USD) for a BOLD N4 phone. If only there were a Linux phone half as good for twice the price! (5G, 3D AMOLED 6.78" 120Hz display, 1200x2652. NPU 655, Ovta core CPU, 512GB storage, 32GB ram. 50MP camera. Big battery, fast charging.)
FFS...
Are the seriously just *trying* to piss us off...??
No better reason to de-google and no better time to de-google...
🤷♂️🤦♂️🤡🫏🖕🖕💩💩
Getting a monopoly to be less shitty is nice, but wouldn't building an alternative be much better?
There is already the french /e/ OS that exists. I wish european countries would start building on it and improving it. Thereby breaking the shitty monopoly.
Europe seems to have suddenly awaken and started actively looking for alternatives to american big tech.
And a Google free phone would be a thing.
@jbz definitely past time I moved to graphene and degoogle my whole life
@jbz I don’t think that’s possible. What are they, some damn Apple?
@jbz So Phones will go back to being phones again?
@jbz Google is tightening its grip.
Google is not your friend.
@jbz welp… just ordered a refurbished pixel to use grapheneOS on… guess I’ll be going the lineageOS route and then trying to figure out how to safeguard it like grapheneOS. More work on my side but more I get to learn.
@jbz It’s a great time to develop more Linux‑based mobile apps to replace Android, which is becoming increasingly closed. Linux phones are improving every day, but they still lack sufficient developer support. I’ve seen several Android apps recently ported to Linux, and I hope more people will start buying these phones—especially in Europe, where digital sovereignty remains insufficient.
You can follow Linux‑mobile accounts such as @furilabs, and @postmarketOS to stay updated!
Fuck Giggle.
@jbz whoomp, there it is
@jbz So, as has become the refrain over the past few years, Fuck Google, you evil rat-fucking bastards.
