Peace be with you, F-Droid Community. 🌹
As many probably know, Google will block Android starting 2027.
Here is my hope: Google has shot itself in the foot with this Darth Vader move, because many People who loves privacy will now switch to de-googled systems, because ( Since to my knowledge), the blockade won’t affect those systems.
So this is just my Openion and my HOPE.
What’s your take on this?
And I kindly say to all developers: Please don’t register in Google.
There are so many people using de-googled systems now, including myself. Please keep going for us, and four you too. Please
Best wishes from Germany 🌹
I tried to open up an issue (and did a PR) suggesting a developer strike as a tactic (IE open source devs adding their names to a list to promise to remove our apps from google play if developer ID goes through) on the KeepAndroidOpen repo. As a dev whose made many android apps and have them on both f-droid and google play, I thought this would mean something.
The maintainers of that repo have been ignoring me to death since April. I was told by the maintainer that the project was “leaderless”, but in reality it seems they’re very opposed to a developer strike, otherwise my PR would’ve gotten more attention.
If you or somebody will create this initiative, please create a post about it on Lemmy! (Or ping me here if you’ll remember.) It’s a good initiative! Worth the attention. I’d also be curious to know which developers have committed to the strike and which haven’t.
I don’t have the energy to start something and try to rally a bunch of devs, but I would join it.
Is there a change to an app in Google TOCs that can get folk to get app from F-droid?
For example: “Free features for this app only available on play. New features and enhancements available (paid or) for free through f-droid.” Or if you cannot openly advertise in the app, “Visit our website to get enhanced features and updates” with clear documentation on how to install and permit f-droid and get app through there.
That way, big app devs can create moves to f-droid, normalising it and chipping away at googles power. The more apps, the more legimate f-droid seems to normies.
Ideally done as soon before switchover as possible. Even reach out to content creators.
It moves from protest, to protest and solution.
Motorola will release a phone with GrapheneOS in 2027, it would be a good pick.
Ironically they’re the top government surveillance camera manufacturer where I live on deflock
Maybe I’m out of the loop, but shortly after Google announced this didn’t they backtrack and say they will let you install unapproved apps after changing a setting and waiting 24 hours?
They said that, but similarly with how they said they delayed switching their extension API after backlash (they’d break adblockers), they ended up doing it later on. That’s what they’re counting on here as well, unless there’s a lot of loud backlash and this hits their bottom line they will eventually eliminate that option down the line imo. They have every incentive to do so.
So, did I understood correctly that just getting pixel with GrapheneOS is way out?
So, did I understood correctly that just getting pixel with GrapheneOS is way out?
I can’t really say anything about that, sorry. I’m not familiar with GrapheneOS or Google Pixel. As far as I know, Play Services can apparently be installed in a sandbox?.. but I didn’t quite get it either. So I can’t say whether the system will be affected by Google’s rules. Sorry I can’t help further.
So they’ll be like iPhones?
When this was initially announced, and they said they wouldn’t backtrack (which they have somewhat, for now), I actually did switch to an iPhone. I figured if Android was to be as closed as iOS I might as well try out iOS & see how it goes.
Hardware-wise, holy shit it’s so nice, the device was bliss to use by comparison to my android phone.
But having ads on youtube, having a shit browser (since literally every browser on iOS is a different skin of Safari), it’s so bad. I switched back to android in something like a month (my main use for my phone is watching youtube with Revanced).
Mind you, I’m in the EU, Apple has set up the 3rd party thingy in such an inconvenient way & with so little incentives for developers that there is nothing outside of the Epic Games Store.
If Android ever becomes like this, I think I might as well just switch back to a dumb phone.
Orion browser and DuckDuckGo browser are really good on iPhone. Orion can use extensions and DuckDuckGo blocks Youtube ads.
I’m thinking about GrapheneOS, but I’ve heard it can be a pain. I use a VoIP number so I could just switch to a tablet, iPad is cheaper than iPhone anyway.
Sadly yes
I think my current phone will be my last normal Android phone. My next one will be either Linux, Graphene or iOS. In that order of preference.
What type of Linux phone? I am thinking of switching too, but I’ve heard Graphene OS is a pain to set up and it makes you seem like a drug dealer.
I’m not quite sure yet but I’m hoping there’s something nice by the time I quit Android. Maybe something like Ubuntu Touch on a decent phone?
Yeah, Ubuntu Touch. Less likely to get compromised if you’ve got an uncommon phone, right? I know Ubuntu OS already.
graphene is super easy to install and set up and literally no one thinks im a drug dealer
So all those “the police will arrest you if you have this phone!111” youtube videos are just paid hype…
It’s about using the duress pin feature to wipe the device when law enforcement asks to hand over your phone.
Sure, but I saw these ads before that.
I’d love to degoogle but all of the state programs that I am in use Google and my emails that they have are in gmail. You don’t get to have privacy when you are part of US programs.
Can’t you use your gmail account inside a standard mailing app like Thunderbird? As for the other google services, maybe they work in browser?
Is there a program or a way to tell what apps currently on ones phone will be affected by this?
Is there a program or a way to tell what apps currently on ones phone will be affected by this?
Hi.
As far as I know, there is no program with which you can check this.
But, I know that for example F-Droid apps on Google-certified devices will no longer be usable, because these apps are not registered in the Play Store. According to the KeepAndroidOpen page, this will no longer work.
I want to add: According to the Samsung Galaxy Store Seller Portal, apps that are already installed will remain usable, just without updates.
Hopes, that helped.
other people are posting their experiences with degoogling on lemmy and that’s how i stay informed.
We need a mobile Linus Torvalds, one that’s not Finnish-American.
Alas that’s not happening.
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He himself sprouted some fucked up lines in the episode of banning Russian devs from the LKML that could be resumed to “lol, cry me a river. I’m Finnish and you know what that means, right?”
And I guess you (is a Finn) too?
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I know not everyone is like that. Sorry if it sounded that way.
But nobody can excuse Linus here.
Banning Russian devs was (is?) so performative, impractical and stupid, and of course lots of “apolitical” projects display Ukraine flag emojis, but you say one word about not liking genocide…
Exactly
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Maybe it’s time to consider SailfishOS as a real alternative to Android (which remains very closely linked to Google)?
Well, since I never took time to master phone magic, now they are going to give me a push. Thanks, I guess
I started the journey about a year ago. Huge boon to my life even if I don’t work anywhere near tech.
Don’t forget about the new automatic Google play services check that app developers can enable with a single click on build. That automatically blocks the app from working on any degoogled ROM
I have developer mode enabled on my phone to get around this but it does force you to wait 24 hours.
I believe you may mean Darth Vader.
Also, I think everyone who was worried about this might have moved to a different ROM that’s more privacy focused and that there may be some movement but it will show up as a blip for Google because most people don’t understand and don’t care.
I believe you may mean Darth Vader…
😅You’re right. Thanks for the correction!
You have a good point. I also know many of people who have no clue about this. I talked a lot about this but they dont care. Anyway for me, every setback, even if it’s just a brief blip for Google is a triumph. Of course , a longer triumph will be great, but yeah… that is just my openion. And thanks again, for the Darth Vader Correction 👍🏻
I decided on graphene awhile ago and run what Google apps I need in a sandbox for this reason among others. My hope is that my approach will protect me from their overreach but at this point we need more successful development and marketing of alternative OS’s built on things like Linux because normal every day people don’t care what operating system it is so long as it’s available in their price range and it works.
You make a good point. And its so true. I know a lot of people who also dont care about Google Problems.
I’m just familiar with /e/OS so far. I’ve disabled microG and don’t use a single Google app. But I can’t judge the people who using it. The problem is really the ecosystem. Many companies build on Google, which means they’re not independent. The End result is : There are no real alternatives. So people only know Google and nothing else
Can you advertise f-droid in an app on play store? Or offer free features on a link that teaches how to f-droid yourself?
I was doing Android development recently and apparently the official SDK builds needed to build the app aren’t FOSS, and actually FOSS versions are difficult to get. I still can’t wait until Linux phones are a thing, Android is such a shitshow nowadays and even GrapheneOS is still at the mercy of Google’s ecosystem. (also still no aarch64-linux support for the build tools either)
