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.
I recently learned that this setting actually persist after migrating to another phone.
that would be only if you chose to backup and restore your android settings
It won’t be a problem on a de-googled phone. Get it running LineageOS or GrapheneOS. Then install F-Droid (and probably Aurora store too). Some Google junk won’t work, but you’ll soon be more limited by having Google services on your phone than not having it.
Can anyone ELI5 for the nontechy how things are going to work once Google rolls out the new bullshit? I’m seeing so many of my apps put out notices that they will no longer work once Google goes through with the verification system. Will I still be able to install shit through f droid?
Will I still be able to install shit through f droid?
yeah, with extra hoops the first time though (24 hr wait etc etc)
I already have developer options turned on, are they gonna fuck me out of that again? :/
I really hate this shit
I really hate this shit
If you have Play Services running, Google owns your phone (and also tracks you, and sucks 50% of the juice for it). Just rip 'em out.
Ya there’s going to be wait periods to turn on developer options, and it sucks cause some apps don’t work with developer options turned on, like banking apps for example.
This whole thing sucks, imagine on your laptop not being able to install software and only being locked to getting everything through the Microsoft Store App.
So F-droid “evolves” to become F-droid Basic?
Nice. There’s just a FOSS alternative for almost everything these days. I get 80% of my apps from F-Droid.
The only non foss apps that I use are banking apps and whatsapp (forced to use it…). Everything else is foss.
Look at Beeper as a alternative, let’s you bridge your WhatsApp chats.
The only way you should trust anything bridging is if you self host it.
Matrix with WhatsApp bridge is the only way to properly use that.
I don’t take advantage of Beeper nearly as much as I should, I saw that they give you a Matrix handle when you sign up which I think is cool.
Same. Its great!
But does it allow you to backup your app list to move to a new device? This is why I moved to obtainium from Fdroid. In reading the article, I don’t see a mention of a backup feature.
This is being worked on now, after 6 years in the pipeline: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidclient/-/work_items/1484#note_3869078109
Been using it since the alpha came out, absolutely love what they’ve done with the app. The installation flow is much smoother with the instant prompt for confirmation, the more granular categories and improved search make browsing so much better. I tried other stores before, but I couldn’t get myself to like any of the actively maintained ones, v2.0 is good for me.
Isn’t everybody using Droid-ify anyway?
I’m using F-Droid Basic.
Yes, but now I want a comparison of F-droid 2 vs Droid-ify.
Foxy Droid here.
I’ve just been rawdoggin it with the OG f-droid app
mines been on no updates for years after they removed the ability to downgrade apps inexplicably.
Honestly the new ui is nice enough I may be switching back to the official F-droid app.
We’ll see where I stay. I love the simplicity of droid-ify but sometimes have some issues with minor jank
That was the reason I switched back to F-Droid. Had serious problems with updating and stuff, no problems with F-Droid so far. I don’t use it that much anyways, most of my apps are already installed. When searching for new apps F-Droid has a big category selection which is nice.
I’ve mostly been happy to just put up with the jank but if I get a nice interface without any I won’t complain :)
Plus it feels nice for the f-droid projects own app to be in a good state and I’m excited for that ☺️
I get pretty much everything through obtainium
I love that I’ve never heard of Droidify. Open source offers a buffet of alternatives.
No. Team neo store represent
Does Neo Store have a way to make apps only use the official F-Droid repo for updates unless you downloaded them from a different one? Because it seems to just want to update from any repo, so I ended up splitting F-Droid Basic for official F-Droid apps and Neo Store for IzzyOnDroid and other third party repos.
+1 for neo store. I wonder if the new f-droid overhaul catches up as neo is pretty fantastic.
Edit, just looked at the screenshots, looks better than before but I’ll stick with neo.
First I’ve heard of it tbh. I’ll check it out, thankyou
Yup
Almost exclusively use F-Droid. Great news!
When you find an app, F-Droid 2.0 will make the installation process easier. Google has long put up roadblocks for sideloaded apps, citing the security implications. This is also the rationale behind its upcoming developer verification system. For now at least, apps will be easier to install from F-Droid thanks to the use of Google’s pre-approval API.
That answers my question if those smoother installs already account for Google’s insistence in making “sideloading” way more annoying. They do not.
I’ve only started using F-Droid recently, but it’s UI is a clusterfuck. I welcome an overhaul.
This kind of news always terrifies me. Will see though.
I have been using droidify for some time now since the updates and install part has always been a bit weird and the notifications too. Hope it is better now. Not super happy with my current option either.
What I really want is a way to use it properly on the TV, because all the current store apps are so, but so so bad and horrible in a screen controlled with a remote control that is almost a joke.
well … i’ll stick with droidify
Now that’s a name I have not heard in a long time…
You haven’t? I always check F-Droid first if I want a new app.
Can’t speak for the person you’re replying to, but I always check the F-Droid repository first, too… but not using the F-Droid app because it’s been a sub-par choice for years.
Droid-ify is what I use, but there are others. Many include/allow other FOSS repos and have additional useful features.
The repo, yes. The fdroid app was pretty shit for a long time. You had to update apps individually, for instance (I think that’s fixed now?)
My F-Droid app has been able to bulk-update for two years now. Sometimes you have to trigger the update process manually, but the apps all get updated.
Ah, that makes sense. I’m on droidify now, maybe I’ll check out fdroid again.
I had an issue with that on older android. On lineage mass update is fine.
